The Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, has congratulated Miss Chidimma Onwe Adetshina, a citizen of the Nigerian southeastern state, on her emergence as the 1st Runner-Up at the Miss Universe 2024 Pageant held in Mexico. The beauty queen, during the events leading to the announcement of the winners, wowed a global audience with her exceptional costuming and enchanting display of class, glamour, and charisma, which the competition required.
According to the governor, her victory at the 73rd Miss Universe pageant competition, which featured 130 women worldwide, “reaffirmed her resilience, brilliance, and determination that define Ndi Enugu.”
Recall that the governor earlier appointed the beauty queen, formerly based in South Africa, as a Brand Ambassador of the state. This followed the widely condemned bouts of attacks and rejections she suffered in the rainbow country, where she was born and denied the opportunity to achieve her dream of becoming a beauty queen, over unclarified identity falsification levelled against her mother. The prejudice re-ignited the xenophobia against Nigerians’ accusation against other Africans, winning Chidimma sympathy approval votes at home and globally.
Chidimma, in a statement reflecting on her nightmares in South Africa and thanking the millions of Nigerians who stood by her during the ordeals, said: “Many wonder why I didn’t stop. Many asked, why not let it be for now? Your life might be at risk. Some questioned, why isn’t she giving up? Does she crave the clout? I sat back, overwhelmed with so many unanswered questions, as life moved faster than I could process. But do you know what? My dreams have kept me afloat.”
