The entertainment industry is about the hardest hit by the rampaging Covid-19 pandemic as almost all countries, including Nigeria have now literally banned night clubs, concerts, (owambe) parties, etc. I therefore find it rather odd to read that Nigeria has won the rights to host Miss Heritage Global pageant. The pageant initiated by a private organisation is slated for later this year. More intriguing to me is the disclosure that the federal ministries of communications and digital economy, trade and investment, special duties, information, culture and tourism as well as the lottery trust fund are partnering with aforementioned private organizations to host this pageant.
This presupposes that the pageant has the blessings of the federal government? In fact it is reported that “Nigeria beat Russia, Vietnam, others” to win this year’s hosting rights for the pageant. So, we are expected to beat our chest for having overcome these great nations to win this rights, an indication that we can compete with any country in the world and that we are truly the giant of Africa? “Vietnam and others” are third world, developing countries like Nigeria. Russia after dismemberment of the great Soviet Union has fallen in the pegging order of ‘world powers’.
According to its organizers the event will kick off with an “Economic Summit”, meetings with ambassadors of participating countries and culminate with coronation of winner of the Miss Heritage Global on the last day. In other words, the headline event is the pageant. And that is where my concerns are because the other outlined events are just ancillary to the fact so to speak, to give what is essentially a beauty contest some kind of prestige (pardon my bluntness which may appear uncharitable). But the question is, of what benefit is a beauty queen to Nigeria, Africa? What is the essence of a beauty pageant? According to the organizers the ‘Economic Summit’ will not only examine challenges facing Nigeria and Africa in general but also proffer short, medium and long term solutions through an array of intellectual interactions from “very sound minds from all over the world”. Nevertheless, there can hardly be anything new from this summit because most if not all of Nigeria, nay Africa’s problems have been dissected in countless fora held across the continent and the world. Many of the recommendations are gathering dust in official quarters. Still, there is no harm in this “summit” reiterating the points. Indeed it may be necessary for emphasis.
While one aligns oneself with the core objective of the economic summit arm of the Miss Heritage Global event, one sees less value in its pageant aspect which is apparently its flagship event. True, the promoters say it is to showcase Nigeria and Africa’s “heritage” which means contestants will be attired mostly in cultural wears; the nauseating bikini aspect being done away with. Still, some parts of the contestants’ body, at least the upper part revealing the chest would be exposed, that being the common denominator of most beauty contests. My grouse with all pageants is that it reduces women to a thing of admiration similar to an inanimate object dressed up like a doll in a China shop to feed the eyes of passers by and others for entertainment.
Women are not created to essentially titillate the passions of their male counterparts. Neither are they meant to be admired by them as such. No. They are to be respected not admired. All who approach a woman should do so in some kind of ‘reverential’ respect, in recognition of the power that she bears deep within her, mercifully bestowed on her by the Almighty, on all women irrespective of how they look physically and which makes the woman a Queen in her own right; that unseen power which she is meant to use for the benefit of humanity, engendering in the man enthusiasm, fearlessness for what is good, pure and noble; but which she has over millennia misdirected to wrong uses, manifesting now in what is disdainfully called ‘ bottom power’, among others. What we see today is a distortion, caricature of true womanhood. Beauty pageants of whatever genre are a dishonouring of womanly dignity. This dignity does not seek lustful admiration but respect in all its ramifications.
Fare thee well, Prince Tony Sule Momoh
When I flipped open my phone that fateful Monday to browse through the latest evening news, the first thing I saw was the breaking news announcing his death. I was jolted, taken aback for a few moments. Since it was in the social media, I tarried a while to confirm it in the mainstream media.
But when President Mohammadu Buhari and other prominent people started sending their condolences, the reality dawned on me that Prince Tony Suleiman Momoh has indeed departed this earthly life. A solemn mood came over me and my first act was to send up a prayer for him ….
I first met Prince Momoh several years ago in his Kakawa street, Lagos office. I had just finished my national youth service upon graduation from the University of Maiduguri and was job hunting. Since I had been contributing opinion articles to some of their titles from school, I decided to seek a job in the Daily Times. Somewhere along the line, someone hinted me that the right person to see in that respect was Prince Tony Momoh who was then the General Manager, Manpower Development, Times Publications of the Daily Times Group. That was how I found myself in his office on Lagos island. Without knowing him from Adam, he gave me a note to the then personnel manager of Times Publications.
That was how I was employed as Trade and Industry correspondent of Business Times because of my course of study. That was how Prince Momoh brought me into Journalism, made me a Journalist. Two years later I was transferred to Daily Times as Features Writer and rose through the ranks, becoming deputy features editor, features editor, member editorial Board and Acting Chairman, Editorial Board. Later, fate took me to another part of our country.
He regarded me as his daughter kind of and I saw him as my mentor. Once in a while I did phone him for ‘Hello Sir’, greetings, just as he sent me text messages once in a while too. The messages are often signed off with tm, his initials.
In 2019 a former colleague mobilized some of us who call him our mentor to put out a congratulatory message in commemoration of his 80th birthday that falls on April 18. I contributed my widow’s mite to the newspaper advert. In that year too or thereabout, he sent me a text to watch out for an interview to mark his birthday on NTA network which I did. Also in November 2020 he introduced me to a non governmental organization involved in lifestyle project, suggesting I take a look-in.
And in late December, 2020 whilst in my village for Christmas and the New Year celebration, he called to know why I had not replied to an enquiry he sent me via text. I apologised for not having seen the message on time. Then we chatted for a few minutes. He told me something to the effect that he had been staying indoors since because of Covid-19, that he would travel to Lagos later that month for an important event. Then we talked of the multiple former staff of Daily Times that had passed on that year alone, the latest then, being Professor Dayo Alao and Gbadebo Ogunsanwo (one of my favourite columnists whilst still at school). As he was reeling out the names, I was going to say to him, ‘ and you that is over 80 years you are still very much around, looking youngish like a fifty year old’. Somehow, I did not get to voice this out. Our conversation ended moments later and I thanked him profusely.
One attribute of Prince Momoh is that he would attend to a person decked in rags, literally the poorest of the poor as he would a king decked in the finest jewellery/gold.
What more can I say than that I give thanks to the Lord, our God for having crossed his path. My loving thoughts and prayers go out to you Prince Tony Momoh. May Helpers guide you upwards to the Luminous Garden of God, there to awaken in joyful activity. Amen.Ikeano writes from Lafia, Nasarawa state.
