I Was Used -TV3 Beauty Cries

It�s been five years since TV3, organisers of the Ghana�s Most Beautiful pageant announced its decision to hand over the 2009 Ghana�s Most Beautiful crown to Lamisi Sam Awinongya when Nasara, the original winner was stripped of the title.

But one, two, three, four, five years down the line, Lamisi is yet to receive any prize or crown from TV3 to confirm her as queen as she disclosed on Peace FM's Entertainment Review program last Saturday, and all her efforts to get them to support her Road Safety project which she started as queen have proved futile.

�TV3 used me�, she told Showbiz yesterday. �I was used because when the issue of Nasara being stripped of her title came up, TV3 never informed me personally.

They held a press conference and before I knew, my friends and relatives were calling to congratulate me. Some of my relatives even said that I had been ungrateful for not coming to thank them for the support they gave me during the pageant�.

A statement signed by Syed Ahmad Zaidi, the then CEO of TV3 seen by Showbiz read �The decision has come after a series of investigations and internal discussions. The crown will automatically pass on to Miss Lamisi Sam Awinongya, the first runner-up of Ghana�s Most Beautiful 2009.�

Lamisi said following her expectation as the new queen, TV3 promised to assist her establish her foundation. �But when I started my project and contacted TV3 for a camera crew, they told me that all of them had travelled to South Africa to cover a football tournament so I personally had to look for a camera crew. Yet TV3 never screened any of the tapes I sent them because, according to them, the recording was bad�.

Lamisi repeatedly told Showbiz that her complaints were not meant to embarrass TV3 or engage in a personal vendetta with anyone but her concern was that �The right thing must be done. Today, TV3 is saying that they never handed over the crown to me but it was the media that misrepresented them. It has become necessary to come out with the facts in order to maintain the integrity of TV3�s Ghana�s Most Beautiful brand.�

But when the Brands manager of TV3, Mr. Felix Dontoh was contacted, he said that TV3 doesn�t have any issue with Lamisi. This is because in the statement that was released, it was never stated that Nasara�s prizes would be given to Lamisi.

�All we wanted was to hand over the responsiblities of the Ghana�s Most Beautiful queen to Lamisi and since then we have not held any events that will require her presence or services.

I know Lamisi wanted us to physically give her the crown but that was not what we meant. For me, I don�t think that there is any issue here for debate. The statement made it clear� he added.