Twenty-two year old Vera Oheneba Safaoh from the Central Region put up a sterling performance late Sunday night to be crowned Ghana’s Most Beautiful 2015.
Sarfoah who was known in the show as Esi, beat competition from three other contenders at the grand finale to walk home with a brand new 2015-registered four-wheeled drive and a cash prize of GHC10,000 plus a year supply of souvenirs from sponsors.
Ashanti Region’s representative Maame Akosua Ayiwa Sika who gave Esi a good run, emerged second while Eastern Region’s Afariwa came third with Fafa from the Volta Region picking the fourth spot in the competition.
Esi, who was overwhelmed by the feat thanked all her fans for their support and vote that kept her going throughout the competition that lasted three months and televised live on TV3.
“I have toiled for this that’s why I couldn’t cry. I had wanted to cry but I had to cease my tears. It’s a dream come true. My dream has come true,” she told tv3network.com as she beamed with smiles.
She added: “This victory is for all my fans.. I’m so grateful to them; God will replenish all the resources they invested into my crowning. I’m so grateful to them”
In the next twelve months, Esi intends to embark on a massive campaign against teenage pregnancies in the Central Region, which she said, has become prevalent in the region, adding, “I believe the girl child would be able to reach higher academic levels.”
Esi said she is ready for all the responsibilities that come with the crown, and will to sustain the integrity of the crown during her reign.
From the start of the programme, it became clear that each of the ladies were poised to wear the crown as they each delivered to their ability with Esi standing tall at the last segment that tested the intelligence and eloquence of the ladies.
Esi was on point! The dexterity with which she answered her questions on how Ghana can maintain its identity in the global world, and how the challenges faced by adolescents can be addressed made her the toast of the night.
Although Sika also exhibited eloquence and fluidity in her delivery on why it is important for her to learn about other ethnic groups in the country, plus the dying social support system for the aged in Ghana, she could not reach the bar set by Esi.
Afariwa who was the first to be tested, could not give a good account of herself as she exhibited incoherence and lack of knowledge in her delivery on how culture can be used as a unifying factor in Ghana. A question from the judges on climate change even exposed her the more as she went round in circles trying hard to answer.
Fafa, who was asked how many the Sustainable Development Goals are and to name and explain two of the goals, appeared a bit uncomfortable with the question.
Her knowledge on the new set of UN goals was not enough to put her in the league of Esi and Sika although her delivery was fairly good. When she was asked a question about tourism by the judges, Fafa then got back on track to prove her grasp of tourism issues.
She talked about how she would convince investors to choose to invest in Ghana’s tourism if she was appointed an attaché in a Ghana embassy. But that was still not enough for her to be among the leading contenders on the night.