Salamatu Conteh carries Miss Mo and Friends Crown

By Bampia Bundu

Miss Salamatu Conteh poses for AYV

Miss Salamatu Conteh, a student of the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM), has been crowned as the winner of the Miss Mo and Friends Beauty Pageant held at the Thompsonia Illusion at Syke Street in Freetown on Friday, April 6 this year. She bagged a brand new Peugeot car worth £4,000.

The contest which was tightly contested by eight beauty queens from various institution and communities in the Western Area was attended by thousands of people with Judges drawn from the United Kingdom and Sierra Leone.

Coming in second position was Miss Isatu Sow who carried home the sum of two million Leones (Le2m) and one Blackberry phone while third placed Miss Fatmata Turay won herself one million Leones (Le 1m) and a 23 inch television set.

The contestants were each given the opportunity to appear on stage six times and asked to answer to three questions in the talent show.

They paraded in different dress styles ranging from casual wear, Africana dress, beach wear, office executive dress, evening dress, and party dress.

In an exclusive interview with Miss Salamatu Conteh, she expressed her appreciation to the organizers of the contest and commended the Judges for their transparent work. She maintained that she felt very honoured to be crowned as Miss Mo and Friends 2012.

She encouraged the other contestants to take heart and appealed to them to continue to work hard in their endeavours as they may have luck in future contests.

She confessed that it was not a child’s play to win the contest as it required hard work, dedication and money. She said she was grateful to all those who supported her in the contest. She also thanked God and her parents for allowing her to partake in the competition.

In his remarks, the President of Mo and Friends, Mr. Alex Williams, commended the Judges for their good job in coming out with a fair decision which had been appreciated by all stakeholders.

He commended the three lucky winners for their achievements and assured Miss Mo and Friends that they will be partnering with her to serve as Ambassador to other young ladies across the country.

In his comments, the Chief Judge of the contest, Mr. Fredrick Clay, admitted that the decision they took was collective. He confessed that the winners deserved their achievements and encouraged the other contestants for future contests.

Consolation prizes were given to the other five contestants.