By Jeremiah Archibong, House of Assembly Correspondent
Cross River Most Beautiful Girls (CRMBGs), under the stable of Belle’ Sabel’s Model/Grooming Agency have been advised to focus their pet projects more on educating the girl child against social vices and other societal ills.
The Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Hon John Gaul Lebo gave the advice yesterday when a delegation of Beauty Queens managed by Belle’ Sabel Agency paid a courtesy call on his office in Calabar.
Hon. Lebo who stressed that the girl child needed to be educated out of her present dilemma of ignorance, illiteracy, early marriage, childhood pregnancy, prostitution and other social vices and consequences, said that rural girls particularly were victims of the anomaly.
While commending the Beauty Queens for initiating an anti- malaria pet project among others, the Speaker implored the CRMBG to align their projects with those of the state government with similar mission and also device an action plan that would help them to access support or funding from the government and international partners.
He reminded the Beauty Queens that beauty and brains were edifying and more dignifying, adding that they should adopt more creative ways of rendering social services to the society even as he pledged the Assembly’s willingness to support their pet projects.
He further advised the CRMBGs to be good ambassadors of the state while using their crowns to inspire younger girls who look up to them as role models, reiterating that the emancipation of the rural girl should be cardinal in their programs and projects.
Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation, Cross River Most Beautiful Girl, (CRMBG) Queeneth Awukam, commended the Speaker for previously identifying with pet projects of beauty queens, adding that they would tenaciously pursue the fight against malaria which was posing severe danger to women and children and the commitment to empowering the rural women.
The CRMBG said that the visit became necessary to acquaint the Speaker and the Assembly with the various pet projects embarked upon by the various Beauty Queens as well as to solicit support from the Speaker and the Assembly for these projects.
In the delegation were the Cross River Most Beautiful Girl (CRMBG) – Tourism, Mercy Egede; Cross River Most Beautiful Girl (CRMBG) – Culture and Heritage, Mary Odere; Cross River Most Beautiful Girl (CRMBG) – Face of Belle’ Sabel, Stephanie Garrick as well as Philomena Oyamu, the Pageant Manager.