Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU)
Twenty-year-old Queen Douglas, a student of Agriculture at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, near Umuahia, has emerged the winner of this year’s Music Icons Reality Show.
Douglas, who hails from Bayelsa, defeated nine other contestants, who took part in Sunday’s grand finale, which took place at the Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia.
The event, which attracted a large crowd of Abia youths, was organised by Vision Africa Radio, a predominantly religious-based outfit in Umuahia, the Abia capital.
Retd. Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, a former Chief of Army Staff, who was the Chairman of the event, charged the nation’s youths to engage in activities geared toward the development of their talents.
“Our youths should engage in programmes that would help them to develop their potential rather than frivolities of life,” Ihejirika said.
He further advised parents to give their children sound moral upbringing and instil the fear of God in them in order to build a better society.
Also, the founder and President of the station, Bishop Sunday Onuoha, said that capacity building for the nation’s youths formed an integral part of the station’s vision and mandate.
Onuoha, therefore, advised the youths to leverage on the opportunities offered by the station to showcase their talents.
He said that the media outfit had over 20 million listeners worldwide.
He advocated stronger collaboration between the government and the private sector in providing youths with the necessary opportunity and support to excel in their careers.
In her speech, visibly excited Douglas thanked God “for His grace,” saying that her victory was made possible by God.
“I thank Him for His grace. It is only God that has done this,” she said.
Douglas went home with a cash prize of N100,000, in addition to a recording deal with the station, while the first to third runners up — Kelly Martins, Amina Ibrahim and Favour George, — got consolation prizes.
Other highlights of the event included special awards to prominent Nigerians, including Mrs Buchi Ojei, the Abia Coordinator, National Directorate of Employment, Dr. Joseph Iloh, the Abia Resident Electoral Commissioner, and Nwoko, Founder, Convenant Polytechnic, Aba, among other receipients.
NAN reports that 268 contestants entered for the fifth edition of the competition, which commenced in August, but only 10 made the final list of contestants.