By Joshua Olomu
Abuja – A 23-year-old microbiology graduate, Miss Precious Emezi, has emerged winner of the 2017 edition of the Miss Ambassador for Peace pageant, a platform for promoting a peaceful and united Nigeria.
The pageant was organised by the Peace Ambassador Agency, a non-governmental organisation, advocating peaceful and united Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 19 ladies contested for the crown on Sunday night at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
The contestants were drawn from 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The new queen will serve as an ambassador for peace, preaching peaceful and united Nigeria during her one-year reign.
The first and the second runners up were crowned Miss Peace Ambassador Africa and Miss Peace Ambassador North East respectively.
They are to work with the new queen in the peace outreaches of the organisation.
In her speech, Emezi pledged to be committed to campaigning effectively for Nigerians’ peaceful co-existence.
“I really want to use this opportunity to contribute my quota to building of a peaceful society for all.
“I have always wanted to be a beauty queen and use the platform to touch lives positively.
“I will work hard in line with the organisation’s objective to promote tribal and religious tolerance among Nigerians,“ she said.
Earlier, Mr Kingsley Amafibe, the Project Director of the organisation, said that the pageant was aimed at promoting peace as a veritable tool for national development.
“This has been a vehicle through which we carry the message of peace across Nigeria.
“We, as an agency, have sought peace and we have preached peace through this unique platform that we have taken to different states and communities.
“The peace education campaign, which is targeted mainly at the youth, has reached institutions of higher learning and other youth communities through the Peace Ambassador project,’’ he said.
He said that achieving and sustaining peace needed collective efforts of all citizens.
Amafibe urged Nigerians, especially the youth, to shun divisive tendencies and promote Nigeria’s unity.
NAN reports that Emezi graduated from Michael Okpara University, Umudike in Abia.
Miss Ambassador for Peace pageant started in 2012.
