Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River, on Saturday night in Calabar, splashed one million naira on each of the 11 families that contested at the maiden edition of Silverbird’s ‘Mother and Daughter Pageant’.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the pageant held at the Cross River International Conference Centre, Calabar, involved 11 teams, each made up of a mother and daughter.

Also, the team of Mrs Angela Nwangwa and her daughter, Gift, apart from the governor’s largesse, got N2 million cash and a family trip to Dubai as overall winner of the contest.

The duo of Mrs Omo Alake and her daughter, Ife, emerged the first runner-up, while Mrs Thelma Ukpai and her daughter, Mercy, were placed second runner-up.

According to the governor, a contest which celebrates family values should have no loser, as it will affect the confidence children have in their mothers.

Ayade extolled the qualities of the family, describing the event as a ‘life touching’ show.

He said: “An event like this shows that culture has not departed from us.

“Anything involving mothers make me very emotional, because I remember the struggles of my mother while I was growing up and how her sickness started when we were becoming successful.

“This event should have been for the mother and her son, because sons feel very strongly for their mothers more than daughters.

“If I had one wish in this world, it will be that mothers die no more, and I will give an arm and a leg just to see my mother again and for her to see me as a governor today.”

Ayade said that mothers always inspired confidence in their children and promised that the state government would always support events that celebrated culture and family values.

NAN reports that results of the first edition of the Mother and Daughter Pageant were decided exclusively from the online votes of viewers.

The contestants were in teams one to 11 and Team One had Mrs Omo Alake and her daughter, Ife, while Team Two had Mrs Onyinye Udenze and her daughter, Chiamaka.

Team Tree had Mrs Abisola Abayomi and her daughter, Laanumi; Team Four - Mrs Ruby Etoh and her daughter, Reena while Team Five had Mrs Thelma Ukpai and her daughter, Mercy.

Mrs Kate Ogbebor and her daughter, Justice were in Team Six; Mrs Francisca Nwabueze and her daughter, Favour, in Team Seven; while Mrs Debbie Young and her daughter, Gabrielle, were in Team Eight.

Team Nine had Mrs Angela Nwangwa and her daughter, Gift; Team 10 - Mrs Ijeoma Ikeru and her daughter, Chioma, while Team 11 was Mrs Ngozi and Kamsi Duru.

Apart from the grand prize, Team Nine was also awarded the ‘Most Innovative Mother and Daughter;’ Team Six was adjudged the ‘Most Creative Mother and Daughter;’ while Team 10 had the ‘Best Outfit.’

Team 11 got the ‘Most Photogenic Mother and Daughter,’ while Team Four won the prize for ‘Special Relationship and Bond.’

In his remarks, the Vice President, Silverbird Group, Mr Guy Murray-Bruce, said that the theme of the pageant was ‘Circle of Life’ and it was to celebrate family qualities.

He said that there were no ‘Bikini Contests’ due to the family nature of the contest.

According to him, it focused on how family qualities were passed from the mother to her child. (NAN)

•Photo shows Governor Ayade.

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