Miss Erica Oraeki, 25, on Sunday night emerged the 2019 Miss Valentine Africa beauty queen, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Oraeki, an undergraduate of Computer Studies from the National Open University (NOUN), Lagos, defeated other five contestants in a keenly contested competition held at Eden Hotel and Resorts in Otta.
The correspondent of NAN who covered the event observed that Oraeki’s emergence was based on her intelligent responses to questions from the panel of judges.
The seasoned model from Anambra, who was shocked when the result was announced told NAN that it was her second attempt in the Miss Valentine beauty pageant contest.
She said, “I am really excited and grateful to God for this great honour and opportunity to serve as an ambassador for peace in my country.
“I thank all those who encouraged me to attain this new status after my first attempt in the 2014 edition,’’ Oraeki told NAN.
She said that her focus as an ambassador for love and peace would be to express love to the less privileged children.
“My first assignment will be to visit homes for the less privileged and offer gifts to them as a way of expressing my love and care to them.
“ I will also spread the message of peace and love across the country through public peace rally, which is very vital at this period that the nation is about conducting its general elections,” she told NAN.
Oraeki who is the third Miss Valentine Africa expressed gratitude to God for seeing her emerging the overall winner in the competition.
Similarly, 18-year-old Precious Esah, came second while 26-year-old Cynthia Nwando came third.
Earlier, the organiser of the pageant, Mr Dickson Buffalo had said in his address that the essence of the contest was to preach love and peace to Nigerians.
“There is the need to awaken the consciousness of Nigerians to express love for one another, especially, at this critical period when Nigerians would be conducting their general elections.
“It is the only key to peace and development.
“ When we talk about it, we are practically changing the concept of Nigerians from ethnic divisions, fighting, killings, tribalism, kidnappings and several other vices,” he said.
Buffalo, also the chairman, Board of Trustees, MJV Africa Foundation, said that the new queen would become an ambassador of peace and love in Nigeria.
He said that the new queen would go home with mouthwatering gifts from the organiser and the management of Eden Hotel and Resorts as well as from others that co-sponsored the contest.
He added that those who came second and third would also go home with their own prizes.
Buffalo also said that other contestants would be given consolation prizes by the various sponsors.
He said that contest, which started in 2014, could not hold between 2015 and 2017 owing to lack of sponsors.
He said that the organizer, however, resumed the staging of the contest in 2018.
Buffalo said that the first queen was Estino Nwanze, an actress while the immediate past queen was Perpetual Umoh, a private entrepreneur, who finally handed the crown to Oraeki.
Highlights of the event that occurred three days after the 2019 Valentine’s Day include various musical, comedy and dance performances by some artists
