Free Town - Sierra Leone — Ghana's Miss Shirley Nwangere has won the 2010 Miss ECOWAS Peace Pageant, defeating 27 other hopeful contestants at a glittering ceremony in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. The 22-year old Miss ECOWAS Ghana, who was also honoured with the Best Peace Message Award for the night, was overjoyed as out-going Miss ECOWAS Peace Pageant for 2009, Miss Joy Obasi Ngozika of Nigeria, placed the tiara on her head and got her waiving to an equally excited crowd at the Miatta Conference Centre field on Saturday, 13th November 2010.
Senegal's 19-year old Miss Matel Sow was first runner-up while Margaret Murray of Sierra Leone placed second runner-up in the hotly-contested pageant. Many of the contestants made some delightful performances. One of them was Miss Sow's proficiency in English, French and Portuguese, the three ECOWAS' official languages. But the crowd would long remember Miss ECOWAS The Gambia, whose highly emotional peace message brought tears to many in the audience.
The pageant took off on a colourful note and this was sustained all night with performances by singers, dancers and drummers from some Sierra Leonean groups as well as Ghana's hip hop sensation, Kofi B. Before the contestants whirled in their national costumes, among others, they won the crowd's heart with their scintillating display of the national flags of the 15 ECOWAS Member States as they marched to K'Naan's 2010 World Cup "Waiving Flag", led by winner of the first edition of the pageant, Miss Fatoumata Diallo of Senegal, who displayed the ECOWAS flag. Billed as a night of beauty, perhaps much of the largely youthful crowd did not expect a musical extravaganza which the long evening also turned out to be, courtesy of the 62-year old reggae music icon, Jimmy Cliff - born James Chambers. He left nobody in doubt that his voice is still as good as it was over two decades ago when he ruled the airwaves. Churning out such old tunes as "I can See Clearly Now", "Many Rivers to Cross", "Remake the World" and "Madstock!", Jimmy Cliff with members of his band, had everyone on their feet dancing the night away, even as he preached peace, unity and a great future to his adopted West African brothers and sisters.
The 2009 honour of the Jamaican legend, alongside Ivorian Alpha Blondy, of the ECOWAS Peace Ambassador Award as peace promoters in Africa was indeed justified, everyone seemed to be thinking, as the fans yearned for more of Jimmy Cliff who had to pause in order that the winner of Miss ECOWAS Peace Pageant be declared. Legendary Senegalese singer, songwriter, percussionist and occasional actor, Youssou N'Dour, was honoured - in absentia - at the event with the ECOWAS Peace Ambassador Award in recognition of his impact on culture through his music worldwide, using it as a vehicle for propagating the message of peace and improving the lives of the people. The Miss ECOWAS Peace Pageant competition emphasizes the importance of peace building and consolidation, with the winner required to champion the Youth Peace Initiatives of the ECOWAS Commission for one year.
The theme for the 2010 edition is "Peace Building and Development". According to 702 Productions Limited, organizers of the annual event in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission, potential ECOWAS Peace Ambassadors must be beautiful, have a good educational background, be articulate and ready to become flag bearers for ECOWAS' peace initiatives and help promote a people- centred ECOWAS. Conceived as a platform to unify the people and countries of the West African region for development and growth, the Miss ECOWAS Peace Pageant is also designed to showcase the many and varied West African cultures and an opportunity to display the talents and intellect of young women from the region. The pageant is also expected to serve as a medium to unveil and market West Africa's fashion, art and culture to the rest of Africa and the world. In attendance at the event were the Vice President of Sierra Leone, Mr. Samuel Sam-Sumana, the country's First Lady, Mrs. Sai Koroma, wife of the Vice President, Khadjiatu Sam-Sumana, members of the cabinet including the Ministers of Culture and Tourism, Political Affairs and Mines as well as the Deputy Minister of Finance, who is also in charge of the ECOWAS National Unit in Sierra Leone, Dr. Richard Conteh.
Also present were the ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Gender, Dr. Adrienne Diop and her colleague Commissioner responsible for Trade, Customs and Free Movement, Alhaji Mohammed Daramy. Speaking earlier in the evening, Vice President Sam-Sumana recounted Sierra Leone's tortuous journey to peace and the determination of the people of Sierra Leone to the peace despite obvious challenges which, he said, would be overcome. He said Sierra Leone's hosting of the 2010 Miss ECOWAS Peace Pageant was predicated on the need to showcase the peace in Sierra Leone and a reinforce the clear signal that the country was ready for peace and development after a decade of war. He then called on investors to take advantage of the many business opportunities in the country.
In a goodwill message to the Pageant, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Gender, Dr. Adrienne Diop, expressed delight at the progress made by Sierra Leoneans since her last visit to the country 10 years ago. "In those days we had to be taken out of this country in military planes", she recalled, adding: "But it is all so different now". She urged the Government and people of Sierra Leone to unite and keep the peace for the further development of their beautiful country. According to her, the message was particularly significant as the country prepares to celebrate its 50th independence anniversary in 2011.
