The Face of Okija is not about cucumnber! All your questions about the competition answered

Since the announcement of the Face of Okija 2016, there have been a lot of questions about the pageant and how and why people should apply. This interview answers all your questions about the search for a brand ambassador for the Obi Jackson Foundation.

Q: Is the Face of Okija a regular pageant like others? What makes it different?
A: Face of Okija is a celebrated advocacy tool used to celebrate the Igbo culture in a bid to showcase the richness of the Igboland and the pride of the strong Independent people with a focus on improving the community and lives of the people of Okija.

Q: There has been a reported scandal about a beauty pageant from Anambra state. In fact a lot of readers have mentioned their concerns about competitions that lead to scandals. Is the Face of Okija another ‘cucumber scandal’? How can you prevent this?

A: Incidents such as the Anambra Queen’s case, is one of the reasons we lay great emphasis  on virtues. A true Igbo woman is an embodiment of virtues: Humility, kindness, spirituality, honesty, decency, hardwork, focus e.t.c. She is not materialistic and she is not a “lust of the flesh” symbol.

Q: What kind of person are you looking for as Face of Okija? What is the criteria for qualification?

A: We are looking for Brand Ambassadors for the Obijackson Foundation, Men and women with a heart of service, who are under 30, university or polytechnic graduates and can speak Igbo fluently

Q: This year, males also have the opportunity to participate. Will two winners be crowned or is the final Face of Okija going to be a man or a woman?

A: We are going to have 2 winners who will serve as brand ambassadors to the Obijackson Foundation

Q: Is the competition open to other non-indigenes of Okija? We see Igbo citizens who are fluent in the language. What are the chances a non Okija indigene wins the position?
A: The competition is also open to non-Okija indigenes, the winners however will have to live and work within the Okija community for 1 year

Q: What do the winners take home with them?
A: The winners get job with the foundation for the duration of their reign with a N120k monthly salary and also get a N1 million grant that can go into further training or their personal projects

Q: What is the deadline for application and what is the rest of the process like?
A: The application deadline is on the 15th of December. There will be camp  starting on the 20th of December for the shortlisted applicants where participants will be groomed in Language, history, dance, proverbs, and all the activities of the foundation and the winner will emerge from a debate on the 29th of December

Q: What word of advice would you give potential applicants
A: Face of Okija is promoting Igbo culture and values, if you embody those values, head to www.faceofokija.com to apply now.  Also you can pick up forms at The Obijackson Foundation Onitsha/Owerri Road, Hammakopp site Okija  and in Lagos at 24 Adebisi Ogunniyi Crescent Lekki Phase 1 Lagos.  You can also send your CV to faceofokija@gmail.com
 
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This post first appeared on Linda Ikeji's Blog. Read the original story here.