While competitors went home with mouth-watering prizes, Gulder Ultimate Search 5 after-event party ended with some finding new loves
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By Ernest Omoarelojie
When Nigerian Breweries plc announced the commencement of the Gulder Ultimate Search 5, over 25,000 young men and women made the list. But the brewing giant needed only 10 competitors to search for its lost chronicle. Of the number, only one was meant to cart home the ultimate prize of N7million, a Ford Explorer sports utility vehicle and N.5 million for wardrobe.
On 8 August, Michael Nwachukwu found the missing chronicle and became the proud winner of the largesse, leaping from the fringe of poverty to instant millions. But, as it turned out, the elated Nwachukwu was not the only one who could not contain his excitement at the Protea Nike Lake Resort, Enugu. Linda Iweka, the ever-smiling 21-year-old Computer Science undergraduate of the University of Abuja was also almost everywhere at the same time. She went away with a total of N3.5million. This was courtesy of her Last Woman Standing N1million prize, another N1million from an appreciative Enugu State Government and N1.5million for being the 8th GUS5 evictee.
Frank Adamu, the 26-year-old Business Administration graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, runner-up in the search, received N2.5million for his effort. Ruphina Ohakwe, who lost the Last Woman Standing position to Iweka, went home with N750,000 while J.J. Okon, the barrel-chested Computer Science undergraduate of Oyo Polytechnic, who was evicted for the sins of Abigail Apuogulaya, his weaker partner, became N750,000 richer. Other winners are Apuogulaya, an Oceanography undergraduate of the University of Calabar also referred to as GUS 5 cannery, N650,000; 26-year-old University of Jos undergraduate, Frederick Dutman, N600,000; the beloved awaiting-service Biola Olanrewaju, N550,000 and University of Nigeria, Nsukka undergraduate, Brian Mokelu, 25, N500,000. Rita Uloko, the youngest of the contestants, who was eliminated from the search for the injury she sustained while carrying out a task, got N450,000.
There were others who, though failed to make it to Awgu Hills, won high stakes. Ikenna and Ikechukwu Ohakwe, twin younger brothers of Phina who lost the Last Woman Standing to Iweka, came tops in this category. While one was among the last 40 that dropped out at the Sea School, Apapa, the other made his exit during the selection of the 10 finalists. But at the award ceremony inside Protea’s Nike Lake Resort in Enugu, both emerged the cynosure of all eyes as they clutched their heartthrobs, another set of identical twins who are friends of Iweka.
Ikechuchwu, elder of the twin brothers, told this medium that they met both Taiye and Kehinde Akinyemi, students of the Skaolin Jubele University, Kaduna, for the first time at the award ceremony where they had come to rejoice with their elder sister. More than that, they were not expecting to find new lovers as they were already hooked, they had thought. But meeting the twins from Ido-Ani Local Government Area of Ondo State resulted in what he described as “love at first sight”.
“Honestly, we came because of our sister. We did not come for the purpose of finding new love. But then, when we ran into Taiye and Kehinde, it just happened,” Ikechukwu explained. Taiye corroborated Ikechukwu. According to her, they came from Kaduna to celebrate with Iweka their friend. Never in their wildest imagination did any of them have the impression that a new experience was waiting. Like Ikechukwu, she disclosed that they just hit it off. Though she has no misgivings about the relationship and is ready to make it work, she would not hazard a guess as to what the final outcome would be. Like her twin sister, time will tell.
“It is very interesting the way things just happened. We came here for our friend Linda. But then, we met Ikechukwu and Ikenna and it just happened,” Taiye volunteered. Though Taiye and Kehinde, like their new twin lovers are into relationships, both are ready to commit everything they have to ensure that it works out well. The reason, both said, is that the new experience is not infatuation. For the Ohakwes, nothing on earth is going to stop them from making the relationship run its full course. “This is something we know must work out well. We are ready to put everything into the relationship. We will do whatever it takes. We will make it work,” Ikenna said.
Roland
20 August 2008 14:57Gulder! well done for bringing this show every year, but you must bring back the excitment and standard to us. I think you are losing it and it is fast becoming ’share luck’ to win the big money and not mental & discipline exercise couple with strength & determination anymore as in the past. You should determine how many task should the last person be used as eviction? So that people like JJ will not be evicted. Linda, should have been sent home when she wondered the other way after receiving her compass because it showed she did not understand the instructions and the 85 steps (i think), she lied about that and relying on others dissapearance. The place of the talking drum is no longer scary and sacred, but a noisy place? It almost seem one can predict what might happen next. The last task should have been distanced so that before the last two could get to the finished, one or both should tired.The hiden chronicle was not hidden enough. And the anchor? He was too close to the contestant and I think his positioning gave the contestant the clue that the hidden treasure must have been kept close by. And lots of flaws…. but kudos Gulder! I prefer more mental, strength, determination & tricks in next year ultimate search.
Austin Chuks, Lagos, Nigeria
21 August 2008 14:03Gulder Ultimate Search is one annual African event I do not miss. Apart from the fact that it empowers our youth economically, it challenges them and also equips them for the more volatile society.
Certainly, it has improved enough in so many ways - cash/coverage/participation. GUS, giving back to the society, as a social responsibility shld be lauded and not destructively criticised. I wish others wld do the same.
GUS brings and leaves the viewers with a lot of lessons. It confirms what the bible says: the battle is not to the strong and the race is not for the swiftes; it is the Lord that showeth mercy.
The anchor/co-ordinator has been a wonderful guy. He’s in charge and impartial, bcos this job is as professional as it has to do with integrity. He was standing at the same place where Frank met him. Frank was there before Michael; but he impatiently/overzealously zoomed off from where the chronicle was. He had no clues, that if a book was hidden, ground must hv bn dug and this must show. He wasn’t a typical village boy. He was more of city boy. Mike so strongly believed that the stuff was around there and he was right!
I pitied Bob-Manuel because Mike was so sure that the stuff was there that he was gazing everywhere. If u observed as I did, Bob was looking away/around so that people like ‘Roland’ wldn’t even imagine that a clue had bn dropped by.
If u knew what it takes to organise such a competition, the millions of naira involved, etc, u wld only overwhelm their sponsors/organisers/anchor men with praise.
GUS keep up the good work and never waiver in ur quest to empower the Nigerian youth. I wish the FG wld borrow a leaf from GUS and help our brothers in the Creek (Niger Delta).