For once, I would like to attend a show in Ghana that would not start at exactly the specified time. The Miss Ghana pageant last weekend didn’t start on time (surprise!) but the organizers made the wait worth our while with free drinks at the lobby while we lollygagged and chit chatted. When the gates were opened at about 9:30pm (an hour and a half later than scheduled), the stage was a great welcome inside. Not the usual clumsy stage décor we are used to seeing. This one had been beautifully crafted.

Rebecca (the lady who broke her faith with Mentor II) started the night with an impressive rendition of the National Anthem, clad in the red, gold and green. That was soon to give way to a more sexy attire underneath that went along excellently with a delivery of her single, You lied to me. She indeed proved beyond doubt that she did not need Mentor to make her somebody.

The contestants entered the stage with a delightful dance after MCs, KKD and former Miss Ghana, Manuela Medie had welcomed the audience. Then there was a parade of former winners of the Miss Ghana pageant from 1960 right down to 2006: Comfort Kwamena, Martha Vroom, Dzidzo Amoa, Bridgette Dzogbenuku, Matilda Alomatu, Manuela Midie, Sheila Azuntaba, Benita Golomeke etc. to Irene Dwomoh.

For the first round, each contestant displayed their eloquence with a short speech about a hero from their region. Some of them got carried away, while some fumbled, as happens at every beauty pageant. Then came the swim wear parade, with the contestants showing off their vital stats.

As musical interlude for the night, Charles Amoah, Jewel Ackah, Paapa Yankson and Gyedu Blay Ambulay were great, but they did not pull the ace card on the audience. Amakye Dede, however, with his very well coordinated band, delivered an impressive show that got the crowd involved. He culminated his show with a goodwill message to all Ghanaians. Curiously, there were no hiplife acts for the night.

This year, there was a nice twist in the talent section. We had Maya Angelou’s poetry, Nkrumah’s independence declarations, short sketches and Ayisoba clones.

Miss Congeniality/Personality went to Delilatu Issah (Northern Region). She was the most personable girl during the housing phase of the contest. Sandi Owusu-Yaw (Ashanti Region) was Miss Eloquence and Eunice Mbonye Adoguba (Upper East Region) got Miss Talent, for the Ayisoba delivery.

It then came down to the Golden Five, the final selection out of all ten (10) contestants: Amanda Okyere Boakye, Dinah Ofori Addo, Frances Tekyi-Mensah, Sandi Owusu-Yaw and Doreen Delali Akpai. These ladies were steps closer to winning the Jaguar.

The concluding question that would make or break up the final five was what line in the National Pledge they liked the most and why. It was a shame when Miss Eloquence fumbled with her answer, although with these shows, you just can’t tell. While some had been impressive, others, equally exceptional, yet some flat, the judges – six former Miss Ghana holders – had to choose.

Judgment was passed and Frances Tekyi-Mensah, representing the Greater Accra region, was chosen as the Golden Jubilee Miss Ghana. A Mechanical engineering student from KNUST, Amanda Okyere-Boakye ranked second and Miss Volta Region, Doreen Delali Akpai was third. Judging by the response of the audience, Frances appears to have been a popular choice.

The show came across as something that had been through a lot of planning and preparation. Every bit of the show was very well thought out. Congratulations to Sparrow for putting a great show together and to Frances for winning the new Jaguar X-Type for the duration of her reign. Sad it won’t be her property. Her actual take home car will be a brand new Rover car. She also won ¢25million, LG home appliances, a wardrobe from ATL, and a fully connected TIGO mobile phone among other things.