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Miss Nigeria Ireland stripped of crown in row over nationality

Last update - Tuesday, November 15, 2011, 13:18 By Metro Éireann

The runner-up in the Miss Nigeria Ireland beauty pageant has been crowned as queen after pageant organisers stripped the original winner of all entitlements.

Metro Éireann has learned that the Perod Foundation crowned Ewoma Ogoro as the new queen after they discovered the original winner lied about her nationality in order to participate at the contest.
Minenhle Mkhize, 17, had told the organisers that although she had no official documentation, her father was Nigerian.
A man in South Africa who she claims is her father backed up the story, and produced documents showing his correspondence with the South African Embassy in Dublin where he requested that her surname be changed to reflect his own.
However, following her high profile win at the event held last week in City West, Co Dublin, a full investigation by organisers revealed that she has no familial connection to Nigeria, and the decision was taken to strip her of her title.
It is understood that several people within the African community – including South Africans who claimed they knew her and her family – contacted the organisers to say that she had no Nigerian ancestry.
Metro Éireann has also learned that several efforts by pageant organisers to reclaim the crown and other prizes, including a television set, were unsuccessful.
When contacted by this newspaper, Mkhize said that she “can’t talk without her mother’s permission”. Follow-up calls and text messages were not answered.
Peter Oghina of the Perod Foundation said he was unable to discuss the details with Metro Éireann. “A new queen has been crowned and the matter is settled,” he said.
Yinka Odeajo, publisher of Bold and Beautiful magazine and one of many in attendance at the event, said it was an unfortunate situation.
“I never thought that anyone would claim to be Nigerian when she is not,” he said.


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