“He pulled off his clothes n tried to get me down then I slapped him, no rules, no signed contract” – Dethroned Miss Nollywood

Dethroned beauty queen Miss Nollywood 2015/2016 Grace Okoro Adaeze revealed her side of the story.

MY SIDE OF THE STORY

I called the contact phone number which was on the advert page for the Miss Nollywood 2015 / 2016 after filling the online form and making the bank registration payment.

Mr Barakumo Odede who picked the call asked me to order for tickets which I will sell like other contestants which is a criteria to be a potential winner of the pageant. I then sold tickets worth #40,000 which I gave it to Mr Barakumo.

One night during camping, Mr Barakumo told us all that he will interview us but it will be privately done in his room. We went in one after the other. I went in when it was my turn and Mr Barakumo was behaving very funny that made me very uncomfortable in that room. Amongst other things, he asked me if I had a boyfriend, and I said yes, and he said that Queens don’t have boyfriends but rich men pays for it. I left the room angrily and upset, I later found out that he asked other contestants for s*x too during the one-on-one interview sessions. On one faithful night again, Mr Barakumo sent me a text to meet him at the corridor, which I did.

But he was not there, then I called him and he asked me to open the next room’s door, when I did, I saw him sitting on a chair with a worried look, “Boss, are you OK? I asked him and he replied “Yes, but I am tired and I need lovemaking from you”.

I reminded him of my boyfriend. This word got him angry and he then told me that other contestants were begging for it while he is giving it to me for free and I’m rejecting his offer. He pulled off his clothes and tried to get me down then I slapped him, struggled to get away from him and ran to my room immediately. He later sent me a text that he was sorry that he don’t know what came over him and pleaded that I shouldn’t tell anyone about it.

On the grand finale, 27th December, 2015 after we have been declared winners, we were surprised to learn that crowns were borrowed from Miss Bayelsa pageant to crown us and immediately after our group photographs, the crowns were returned back to the organizers of the Miss Bayelsa pageant whose pageant was being held same day at a different venue.

All the regional Queens were not crowned as a result of this. We were given just flowers and sashes. There was no rules, there was no contract agreement for us to sign, no constitution was read to us, no certificate was given neither did we see the 1million naira star prize for the winners as promised by Bara as he is popularly called.

The next day he told us to dress very good and come downstairs to the pool side, when we got there, he introduced us to a man who we later found out was a politician. That was when it dawned on us that Bara is up to something different, we later went back to our rooms talking about what just happened. The next morning, Mr Bara asked for N5, 000.00, I told him that I don’t have any cash on me so he begged and took my ATM card to withdraw the money.

I was so shocked to receive an alert, N45, 000.00 debits out of the N50,000.00 that was in the account. He withdrew all my money, the cash that I saved for my school fees and left just N5, 000.00. When I confronted him, he pleaded that the organization will pay me back the money later and that the hotel management had asked us to leave because he couldn’t pay the complete deposit for our accommodation and that I shouldn’t tell the company’s secret out.

I was confused and wandered what a beauty pageant I got myself into where the organizer begs from his contestants for almost everything. The last of it was when he requested for one of my phones that owner of the one he was using just took it and there’s no way he can communicate anymore. I gave Bara my Techno T470 phone before we all left Bayelsa at the end.

After our crowning, Mr Barakumo told me to work very hard that by the first 3 months into our reign, the agency will give me all my benefits. With this, I worked diligently.

I am so proud to say that I did very well with the help of my parents no money was given to me by him. Instead I gave Mr Barakumo N15, 000.00 to design two awards plaques which I’ll be presenting to the King of my Community and the leader of our traditional ruling council when I paid them courtesy visit respectively.

I have always carried him along in all I do yet he keeps pestering me for money and recharge cards. I called when I wanted to unveil my pet project (the Hope Support Initiative Foundation) and he said he was very proud and happy for me. He even suggested to do all my designs and printing in Bayelsa State, saying that it is cheaper there. I sent him the money he requested for the printing and also specially invited him to the launching of my foundation, with all his expenses on me ( Transport, accommodation, feeding and miscellaneous). He pledged to donate N700, 000.00 (it is on the video tape) Bara asked me to date him I refused.