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Tag: Chioma Obiadi

  • Girls are not sex objects – Ex-beauty queen

    Immediate past Miss Nigeria, Chioma Obiadi, has advised young girls and women to flaunt their gender with dignity to protectprotect them against being used as sex objects.

    Obiadi spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos on her pet project,  “Green Girl”, which projected decency and dignity of the female gender.

    She said that it was wrong for young girls and women to be seen as sex objects by the men folks in the society.

    “I think it is completely wrong for women to be seen as sexual objects by the men folk in the society, it is totally degrading and terrible.

    “Those men who see girls as sex objects are opportunists who capitalise on the weakness of female gender and use it for their selfish interests,” she said.

    According to her, many girls fall victims out of desperation for wealth or positions which can be avoided through self-development and achievement.

    The 24-year-old beauty queen reminded girls that their bodies were meant to be the temple of God which must not be defiled but accorded some respect.
    Chioma, a Geography student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra, frowned at the manner some girls threw themselves at men who capitalised on their weaknesses.

    “It is really disheartening to see the way some of our girls flaunt themselves on men just to get one favour or the other from them.

    “Those who go into such acts are not good representation of the female gender and as such I advise ladies to display serious mindedness.

    “There is no situation you cannot overcome through self-achievement, no need to look for short cut with selling of your God made temple, we must stop it,”she said.
    She noted that if ladies could carry themselves with dignity, no man would be able to abuse them or bastardised their womanhood.

    “In all of these, I think women should say ‘no to nudity’ and then the men would have no choice than to follow suit in maintaining a sane relationship with women,” she said.

    On her pet project, Chioma said she had gone round schools where she spoke with young girls and boys on keeping themselves and their environment clean, decent and disciplined.

  • ‘FG should compel children of public office holders to study in Nigeria’

    ‘FG should compel children of public office holders to study in Nigeria’

    For the Nigerian educational sector to receive a major boost from policy makers, the 40th Miss Nigeria, Chioma Obiadi, has advised the Federal Government  to  compel public office holders to ensure their children attend schools in Nigeria.

    Obiadi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos when she led the Miss Nigeria Organisation on a visit that such a policy would reduce the decadence in the nation’s educational sector.

    She said that when children of public and political office holders attend schools in the country, they would be able to feed their parents back on whether such schools were experiencing deficit in teaching and learning infrastructure or adequately equipped with modern teaching aids.

    The beauty queen advised that the Federal Government should formulate a policy that would ban government officials from sending their children abroad for study.

    “If this law is enacted, it will have a profound effect in terms of development in our educational sector.

    “ Top government officials send their children abroad to get educated because those schools are well equipped and parade high standard of education.

    “If such Nigerians send their children abroad, then they will be less concerned about whatever is going on in the educational sector in the country since they are not directly affected.

    “However, if their children attend Nigerian schools, they will be concerned with the standard of education and make efforts to improve it,” she said.

    The reigning queen said that she was concerned with the need to have improved teaching and learning infrastructure in schools across the country.

    She said that the meteorological station of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra, where she is a student at present was suffering from deficit in infrastructure.

    “I am a 300-level student of the Department of Geography and Meteorology at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University and the meteorology station in my school is not functioning.

    “This is depriving us, the students, the opportunity to receive better knowledge of how meteorology can be deployed in interpreting and understanding weather conditions.

    “If a child of a minister or a highly laced government official were in the same department with me, probably, efforts will be made to ensure that this facility functions,” she said.

    The beauty queen canvassed an improved quality of education for both the children of the rich and the poor because education is important in the development of any nation and its people.

  • Miss Nigeria canvasses life imprisonment for rapists

    Miss Nigeria canvasses life imprisonment for rapists

    Worried by the incessant cases of rape, the 22-year-old current Miss Nigeria, Chioma Obiadi, has advised the Federal Government to enact a law that will sentence anybody found to have committed rape  life imprisonment to reduce the menace.

    Obiadi, the 40th Nigerian beauty queen, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos during a visit by the Miss Nigeria Organisation that, “Cases of rape are on the increase now in the country.

    “In fact it is become so alarming.

    “ I feel that we are recording increased cases because the perpetrators know that they will be imprisoned for few years.

    “This, I feel, is not stringent enough.

    “When these rapists know that they will be sentenced to life imprisonment or death, the crime will definitely decline,’’ she said.

    According to her, people convicted of rape by constituted court of law were usually sent to life imprisonment with no option of fine in the United Kingdom and other developed countries.

    This had scared intending criminals from committing the offence, she said.

    Obiadi called on security agencies to always apprehend culprits instead of the victims suffering in disgrace as the issue was all about the dignity of womanhood.

    The beauty queen said that the identities of the culprits in rape cases should be made public, while the identities of the victims are protected so that the society would not stigmatise them.

    “Media houses should project the rapists rather than the victims, it is the rapist that should be stigmatised and not the poor girl or lady who had the misfortune of being raped,” she said.

    She, however, blamed some parents, especially the mothers, who would not pay adequate attention to the needs of their daughters.

    She said that mothers should be vigilant in monitoring their children’s dress code and how they relate with the public.

    “Some parents are accomplice in this menace; they should be concerned about their daughters’ movements and body languages from time to time.

    “We should return to our cultural and traditional values that promote decent dressing,” she said.

    Obiadi also appealed to Nigerians to always integrate victims of rape into the society rather than stigmatizing them for a crime they knew nothing about.

    Obiadi added that those who sexually assault minors and aged women should be sent to psychiatric hospitals where their brains would be examined.

    Miss Nigeria also said that child labour and trafficking were caused by parents who wanted to get rich quickly by enslaving their children.

    “Better-life syndrome is a major gateway that makes the parents to lure their children into trafficking and abuse.

    “Such parents should be exposed and jailed.

    “The media in conjunction with National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) should put more pressures on them, so that they can be arrested for prosecution.

    “Any father or mother caught in the act, locally or internationally, should not be spared, they should be given stringent penalties,” she said.

  • Miss Nigeria advocates promotion of indigenous cultures

    Miss Nigeria advocates promotion of indigenous cultures

    The 22-year-old current Miss Nigeria, Chioma Obiadi, has appealed to both the government and financial institutions to provide soft loans to those using fashion and craft to promote indigenous cultures and traditions.

    Obiadi, the winner of the 2016 edition of the Miss Nigeria Beauty pageant, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday that the country was richly endowed culturally.

    Obiadi from Anambra said that should stakeholders in the fashion sector have access to soft loans, they would be able to promote one of the nation’s cultures effectively.

    “I think what we can do to boost our culture is to acknowledge the fact that many people are actually doing well in the industry.

    “However, I think they need financial assistance and encouragement to excel beyond the present level.

    “Government, banks and the organised private sector can assist the sector by granting soft loans to small businesses that promote traditional outfits, craft, jewellery and  bags,’’ she said.

    According to her, whenever I travel abroad wearing my “Ankara’’ fabric and accessories, several people always stop to admire me.

    “They would ask me how they can get such fabrics to buy.

    “I think it is time we begin to appreciate what are ours and we stand for them.

    “Unfortunately, it is like the international community loves our culture more than we do, and it is not supposed to be so.

    “If we can embrace our indigenous fabrics as much as the foreigners do, it is going to promote our social life by generating more employment opportunities for the unemployed.

    “Similarly, it will add value to our national economy,” Obiadi said.

    Miss Nigeria also advised Nigerian girls to be proud of whom they are, and their country wherever they find themselves.

    “As young girls, we must be proud of our colour, our culture, our heritage and tradition because they differentiate us from others.

    “They are our identities “I am proud to be a Nigerian; and I project it through my dressing before the international community.

    “We need to stand up to be good ambassadors of our country, especially, when we are outside,’’ she said.

  • Chioma Obiadi I want to be a voice for young women

    Chioma Obiadi I want to be a voice for young women

    Last week, Chioma Stephanie Obiadi emerged as the 40th Miss Nigeria at the Eko Hotel Convention and Suites in Lagos. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, the queen who goes with the sobriquet, Princess Tyra, talks about how the dream began, her pet project  and life as student of Geography and Metrology at Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, Anambra State. 

    Where did the motivation come from?

    My father always says ‘shoot for the moon, so that even when you miss it you would land among the stars.’ It is not okay to say I want to be a governor, why don’t you say I want to be the president, and if you miss being the president then you become the governor. So it’s better.

    How did you feel when you discovered that you won?

    At first, I felt really excited about the fact that, yes, I am a beauty queen. Yes, I am the new Miss Nigeria, and after a while, I found out that this is more than just being a pretty thing. Now, I have so many people looking up to me. I am representing my country and I have to deliver. I cannot afford to disappoint. At this point, it dawned on me that I have too many responsibilities now.

    How did you get into the pageant?

    I have always wanted to be Miss Nigeria, by the way. It’s an ambition. It came up from a very young age and I can’t even remember what inspired it. My parents in Igbo then always called me Miss World. It was like I am their queen from that little age. I grew up with that and I like expressing and feeling like a queen. So that was how I got the name Princess Tyra. Back in secondary school, I was always so Disney world-like and I think it is something I had always wanted, even before I understood or knew what it was really all about. Then growing up and realising what it was, I then said to myself, ‘I want to do this’. I want to make a difference. I also promised myself that if I become a person of that standard, I can uplift women; I can make a difference in their lives. A lot of women have so much that they want to put into the country but they are not allowed; we are not usually given the chance to do things that we want to achieve. So, I hope that with this platform, I would be able to do this, be a voice for young women, and be a voice for Nigerians generally.

    What was the reaction at home, when you told them you wanted to contest for the pageant?

    They were excited. They were like our Miss World is now going to be everybody’s Miss Nigeria. They were really excited for me and they gave me as much support as I needed. I thank them, God bless them for their support. Of course, they were worried of the challenges and I am very close to my mum. She trusts me and believes that I would come to her if I have any challenge and she definitely would tell me the right way to go.

    What are some of the things that you share in common with your mom?

    Everything actually, she knows everything about me.

    What was campus life like?

    It was amazing. As I said earlier, I grew up as the only girl and I am not so used to having so many girls around me and it was fun having 36 sisters just like that. It was amazing, I had so much fun, and I made so many friends. I enjoyed every minute and it also taught me that there are so many things to life, when you meet people from different backgrounds, different cultures and different personalities. And all this put together makes you a better person. So, I believe that the camp experience made me better in a lot of ways.

    When I came to the camp and I saw so many girls, I was impressed, they were really good. Some of the qualities that I admired included being outspoken, pretty, tall and so many other features. At first, I felt threatened but then I went back to the drawing board. Then I said to myself, ‘you know what, you have to give this your best. If you want it, give it your best and if it works out, then you know God actually wants you to do this.’ So, after the first day of feeling this way, I felt pretty much okay. I focused on making friends, learning things, apart from just winning. So, it was more of lecturing myself.

    Which of the girls gave you a real run?

    All of them, actually. They all had something that was really good; you could hardly say this or that person. Everybody had something that was exceptional. They were all fantastic.

    Who made the outfit that you wore for the competition?

    I had been in a couple of pageants before now. So, I had most of all these things. Then I have a designer who made what I am wearing and who made a lot of other things I wore for other pageants. Then I also have someone who is like a big sister in my school, a make-up artist. When I told her that I was coming for the Miss Nigeria pageant, she said, ‘okay, I have to give you make-up training.’ She did that for four days and my mum also gave me the motivation, the moral courage and support that I needed. So, it was contribution from here and there and God was the special one for me.

    What does your mother do?

    My mom is a teacher.

    How does it feel being the 40th Miss Nigeria?

    Whoah! It’s unbelievable how many hours I have spent on the phone in the past few days. While I am going off one, another one is coming and I am like, what? There is a lot of fun in it. It’s fantastic, it’s amazing. I feel it’s good to know that there are people who want you to succeed, people who are following you up. People that you can actually count on. It’s also very tasking knowing that now whatever you do is not only about you, it rubs up on so many millions of people and right now I have to be careful with everything and my actions now are so important.

    What about your friends in school?

    I have got so many messages and they are like, ‘Chioma, when are you coming back? We are going to have a party for you and stuffs like that.’ I am looking forward to seeing them again, gisting with them. I miss them all.

    What pageant did you participate in before this?

    My very first pageant was Miss Geograms, which was for my department; that is Geography and Meteorology. Then I was really new, didn’t know much about pageants, just know you have to walk like this and that. I just went for it and as God would have it, I won and that opened my eyes to a lot of other things.

    Would you describe this as a Christmas gift from God?

    It’s more than a Christmas gift to me. It’s a life-changing gift and I bless God for the opportunity.

    What projects do you hope to embark on?

    There is already an ongoing project, “The Green Girl project”. I am going into that, but there is the fact that biological waste can be converted into electricity. It is funny to know how much of waste that is being produced in Nigeria, really, and how we lack electricity. In Sweden for example, they convert their waste to electricity and it serves a vast majority of people. Interestingly, Sweden is a very small country, they don’t have the kind of population that we have here. So, you can imagine if we convert our waste to electricity, I strongly believe that it would stop the problem of power failure forever. We deserve electricity.

    What would you miss now that you are Miss Nigeria?

    I am going to miss going to the movies with my friends. I am going to miss the normal life. I have three younger brothers and we are from Nnewi in Anambra State.

    If you have to advise young people, what would you tell them?

    What I would tell them is that they should never think that anything is bigger than they are. If you can dream it, you can get it. Whatsoever you want in life, don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot do it.

    As a matter of fact, it is when people tell you that you cannot do something that you should prove yourself.

    This should push you to do it more so that you can prove them wrong. Sadly, a lot of women are being underestimated, a lot of them are not allowed to get to their optimal capability, but it’s time for us to stand up, take it by ourselves and not wait for it to get to us. We can do it, we are strong. For instance, Oprah Winfrey was born into a poor family, she had a lot of challenges, and it’s never smooth. It is never going to be rosy, even roses have thorns. So if you want something, you have to be ready for the challenges and keep pushing till you get it.

    Were there challenges for you in life or has it been rosy?

    Obviously, there were. It’s never smooth for everyone. The major challenge was mixing my education with pageant. Two opposite worlds, and having to put them both together was truly challenging. I have to put all I have into it and that is why I am where I am today.

    What legacy would you like to have after your tenure?

    At the end of my reign, I hope to be able to stand up and say that I have been able to move people from level A to B. I could have a lot of women and Nigerians say, ‘if not for Chioma, I wouldn’t be here.’

    I could have them say ‘Chioma made me this’ or ‘she provided this for me.’ Even years after, I hope to better people’s lots positively and continue to inspire the people around me. I want to create positive impact in the lives of anyone I ever meet.

    I want the world to know that Nigerians are good people and change the perception that they have.