By: Casmir Ohanele(Casca reporting from USA)
the newly crowned Ada Imo USA, Adaeze Casandra Iwule 2nd from left and Miss Chikodi Obaji, junior Ada Imo flanked by Miss Chisomaga Obaji, 2nd runner-up, 1st left and Miss Chidera Ohakam, 1st runner-up by my
right during Ada Imo beauty pageant held at Radisson hotel JFK airport, Jamaica, New York as part of event of the 6th Annual Imo State Congress of America Convention going on from the 1st – 3rd of August, 2014, with a lot of dignitaries from Nigerian and in the USA present
An 18-year-old Miss Adaeze Casandra Iwule a Health Science student of Queens Borough College New York and an indigene of Oboh in Isiala Mbano LGA of Imo State has emerged as the first beauty queen of Imo people living in America, Ada Imo USA. In the junior category, 15-year-old Chikodi Obaji also emerged as Junior Ada Imo.
In a keenly contested pageant, Adaeze came first ahead of other two pretty daughters of Imo State. Amaka Obaji, 2nd runner-up, an 17 year old student of High School for Science, New York who is aspiring to study medicine and Chidera Ohakam, 1st runner-up, a 17 year old student of St Barnabas High New York from Ebenato Orlu who wants to study Physiotherapy.
While announcing the winner, the judges led by Chief Tony Okpara( Ebubedike of Umuaka) noted that selecting the best was a difficult task considering the outstanding performance of the contestant. He charged the winner to see her position as a rallying point for Imo youths in USA.
In a chat with Ada Imo, she had this to say: “I thank my parents who invested much on and have supported me in my aspiration to be a model. I wanna tell the youths that no matter the obstacle the meet in life, they should keep on trying to surmount it. Temptations will come but never give up. I will try to get all Imo youth in the USA together at least monthly, to talk about our culture and tradition, and encourage us to speak our language Igbo, because I speak it well. I will champion the building of a centre for Igbo language teaching and cooking of Igbo food for Imo youth in America. I am going to be a role model to Imo youths in America. I want to take my act from here because my ambition is to be MISS NIGERIA” Ada Imo commended Trumpeta Newspaper for their international presence.
The queen, Ada Imo USA informed that she will be coming back to Nigeria in December and will be touring the media houses in Owerri to propagate and seek for partnership for her save our Culture and Language campaign and to talk to Imo youths on the need to focus, marry, cook and eat our food. She said her first point of call will be at Imo Trumpeta. Ada Imo also commended Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha for her SNARP project and her contributions to the developments of the youth of Imo State. She said she will meet the governor to preach peace and need for every leader in Nigeria to come together to fight insurgence and Boko Haram in order to make the society safe for the young people
Parents of the Ada Imo USA, Chief / Lolo Ben Iwule were full of appreciation to God and noted that their daughter has always shown great creativity in modeling and that her moral standards has won their support for her dreams. They charged her not to let Imo people down. Also in her own comment, the promoter of Ada Imo USA, Lady Chime Okafor, Odera, of Otulu in Oru LGA, challenged Ada Imo to encourage Imo youths in America to marry Nigerians, eat Nigerian foods, speak Nigerian languages and be a rallying point for youths during her reign.
The president of ISCA, Attorney Charles Onyirmba commended Ada Imo for her wonderful show and expressed confidence that she will make Imo people living in the United States proud. The other contestants congratulated Ada Imo and wish her well during her reign.
