UNESCO APPROVES BAYELSA AS HOST OF MAIDEN UNDER WATER COMMITTEE CONFERENCE AS MBGN ENDS IN GRAND STYLE

21/07/2013
UNESCO APPROVES BAYELSA AS HOST OF MAIDEN UNDER WATER COMMITTEE CONFERENCE AS MBGN ENDS IN GRAND STYLE

Miss Anna Ebiere Banner has emerged winner of the 26 th edition of the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) Pageant, which held at the weekend in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

By this victory, Ebiere Banner, who represented Bayelsa State at the event, has bagged an appointment as Honorary Special Assistant on Culture and Tourism to Governor Seriake Dickson as well as Cultural Ambassador of Bayelsa.

First runner up went to Miss Imo,Stephanie Okwu, Miss Adamawa, Powede Lawrence clinched the second runner-up position while Miss Kaduna, Enoma Agbonifo emerged third runner-up and Miss Abuja, Melissa Devidal took the fourth runner-up honour.

In other categories of the MBGN pageant, Miss Photogenic went to Miss Kano, Blessing Obi, Miss Akwa Ibom,Fontanne Bassey emerged winner of Miss Amity, Miss Bayelsa, Ebiere Banner won Miss Costume and Miss Ogun, Tiamiyu Aderonke got Miss Charismatic.

Speaking at the ceremony, President Goodluck Jonathan said the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO has approved Bayelsa as host for the maiden edition of the organization’s under water committee conference taking place on the 24 th of September 2013.

Represented by the Minister of Culture and Tourism, High Chief Edem Duke, the President also announced that over 7,000 Nigerians would converge in Yenagoa for the Nigeria Festival for Arts and Culture, NIFEST scheduled to hold from the 15 th to 25 th of September, this year.

He commended Governor Seriake Dickson for his significant contributions towards the development of the tourism sub sector, describing him as a great icon of tourism.

Earlier in his remarks, Governor Dickson, noted that the hosting of beauty pageants in the state would serve as a veritable platform to boost tourism and other socio-economic activities in the state.

According to the Governor, Bayelsa will play host to beauty pageants of international scale quarterly pointing out that the MBGN has helped to espouse the true ideals of the African woman.

He said government would soon unveil the state’s tourism calendar to the public and expressed commitment to hosting the Miss Centenary Beauty Pageant expected to take place in Bayelsa in September this year.

Speaking later at the post pageant dinner, the state Deputy Governor Retired Rear Admiral Gboribigha John Jonah, commended the Chairman of Siverbird Group, Mr. Ben Murray Bruce and members of the organization for making Bayelsa proud at the international level.

Chairman of the Silverbird Group, Mr. Ben Murray Bruce expressed gratitude to the state government for partnering with the organization for showcasing true beauty of young and promising Nigerian women to the outside world as the event was being watched on twitter and other social media across the globe.

Mr. Bruce said over the years the pageant has brought hope and transformed the lives of not only the beauty queens but also that of their families.

He cited Miss Agbani Darego from Rivers State who emerged Miss World and made her family and country proud by her achievement.

Daniel Iworiso-Markson
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa State