Last night at the expansive Hall within the beautiful Landmark complex, my brother Fidelis Anosike delivered the first Ms. Nigeria from the Northern part of the country in a long while.
It took him about 15 years to achieve this feat especially from the deepest pool of some of the most beautifully brilliant young ladies that I have seen in a while
The panel of Judges which was itself a study and which included my former client Mrs. Hellen Prest Davies, my super beautiful and elegant sister Ada who is now the acting MD at Tony Elumelu’s Heirs Insurance, and the elegant queen, Rita Dominic amongst others faced a herculean task in choosing the eventual winner.
Beauty pageants have lost their pull for so many reasons some being of their own doing. The quality of participants gives audiences headaches especially with their lack of coherence and barely literate stature.
Last night was different. As Fidelis brought the most beautiful Girl in Nigeria to seat beside me at my privileged table, I watched these super-intelligent vixens strut their stuff on stage to very sweet music.
I was proud of what my brother was doing. The class, the elegance, and the quality attendance could only be a testament to his legendary doggedness and ‘can do’ spirit.
I have known Fidelis for a bit. We had tried to do one or two things together which didn’t quite pan out but in all, I still retain my respect for his hard work and talent.
I had first met him at BGL when he was in the process of buying the humongous Daily Times Group. Daily Times was a National Institution that had spurned so many offspring from the Ms. Nigeria Franchise to a huge Real Estate portfolio which included the giant Stock Exchange building
It was a Monumental attestation to Nigeria’s past glory and here was this young Igbo man wanting to buy it and own it.
I loved the hunger. The unbridled ambition and his coming to BGL, a house founded by the most ambitious of them all Albert Okumagba showed his clarity of purpose.
He succeeded. The battle was hard and grueling. He took it with ease and like a gazelle ran with it.
Last night, as I watch him in a black ensemble move from table to table, engaging his guests, making sure everything was going smoothly, I marveled at his spirit.
You will not even know he had just buried his dear mother. It didn’t show, the show had to go on
Then the Akwa Ibom contestant came out. She was anything but. Where did they get her from? Painfully skinny and not representative of the Akwa Ibom woman who is usually lush with curves and big blossoms that could distract the UN General Assembly. This was not from us. Maybe she went to do NYSC in Uyo and decided to stay
Anyways, as the show progressed, I began to wonder why the reigning Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria was on my table. What he wanted me to do to her, I am still wondering 12 hours after.
She was lithe, skinny, and yellooooo. She wasn’t wearing a mask and gleefully announced that she had just come back from Israel.
I said welcome and changed seats as I didn’t want to risk anything allowing my other friends on the table which included Mrs. Chioma Okigbo my client and sister to engage her in a volley of contending American accents.
I had to leave. It was edging towards midnight and I had to rush back to Shomolu before either the police or our brothers from underground grabbed my testicle.
I had seen enough to be proud of Fidelis and his team. He had brought down the roof and had delivered on a promise which aligns very powerfully with the new mandate of a resurgent Nigeria.
This morning he calls for feedback and to announce, ‘Edgar, let’s bring back Business Times, would you want to be the Chairman of the Editorial Board’
I smile as I walk towards the toilet for my morning pee as I listen to him…..
Only Fidelis would deliver over 18 beauties on a stage and another 8 on the panel of judges with the most beautiful girl on my table and not call to console me for not going home with one but instead starts talking about Business Times
Only Fidelis.
Duke of Shomolu
