Africa is a kaleidoscope of beauty, the wife of the governor of Cross River State, Mrs. Obioma Liyel-Imoke, has said.
According to a press statement signed by Mr. Kammonke Abam, Director of Media, Office of the First Lady, Mrs. Liyel-Imoke stated: “Africa has pristine beauty. It is the richest and one of the most colourful continents. In fact, it is God’s expression of splendor”.
Speaking at the Grand Finale of Miss USA Africa in Baltimore, Maryland, USA where she served as Co-chair, the First Lady described Africa as a rainbow. “That is why all of us whose roots are traced to this great continent need to be very proud of our hallowed ancestry”, she said.
“I am and will always be proud of Africa. For many of us, we have only one continent and that continent is Africa” she added.
Represented by the Commissioner for Social Welfare and Community Development, Mrs. Patricia Inyang Endeley, the governor’s wife praised the organizers of the pageant for taking beauty “beyond the ephemeral display of fleshly and curvy endowments to a deep soul searching, cultural affinity and self-discovery project”.
She revealed that she initiated the Carnival Calabar Queen, as part of the annual Calabar Festival, a 32-day celebration of art, culture, drama, friendship and love in my state Cross River State, Nigeria as a platform to address the unacceptably high spate of teenage pregnancy and child abandonment in Cross River State.
According to her, “the CCQ is the Face of MACA, an acronym for Mothers Against Child Abandonment and a role model for youths whom she speaks to in schools about youth-related challenges and how to combat them.
The primary goal of MACA is to eradicate teenage pregnancy and child abandonment by creating awareness in the youths on the dangers of pre-marital sex, thereby preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV and by instilling in them confidence and leadership skills and ability to make informed choices.
Thus investing in and building a brighter future for Nigeria as well as contributing to Nigeria achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) 3, 4 and 5. MACA also seeks to protect the rights of children with the help of Cross River State Child Rights Law”.
The wife of the governor was given a “A Community Empowerment Award” alongside eminent women including “Miss Universe 2011/2012” and Gina Paige, Co-founder, African Ancestry.com.
