NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR EDUCATION, EDUCATION
IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT, Anna Ebieri Banner is the present winner of the
Silver Bird Most beautiful girl in Nigeria (MBGN) 2013, she is 19 years
old, from Bayelsa State, Sabama Local Government area in Bayelsa State,
She is also the special adviser to the Bayelsa State governor Mr.
Seriake Dickson on culture and tourism. In her on going reign, Anna has
taken the campaign for education as her main objective and will stop at
nothing to see this come to be, Anna has embarked on a national
Education campaign for boys and girls, She has been to several schools
and Educational summits to lend her voice to this great call. In this
interview with Ibifuro Tatua.
Miss Anna Banner, you are a beauty queen and now one of the youngest
government officials in the country, how do you combine both?
This is easy for me because what I aim to achieve during my reign as a
beauty queen is not unconnected to my role as the Special Adviser on
culture and tourism to the Governor of Bayelsa State. Campaigning for
National Education entails a lot of traveling and creating platforms for
national orientation and culture, and to promote basic formal
education. my work basically is to effect positive change, monitor
commitments made by the government and represent the state on national
political stage, this applies to my education campaign too.
So you got the prize money for winning the MBGN pageant and you are also on the Bayelsa State Government payroll?
Yes i am.
That makes you more advantaged than other queens before you, So would you say it is luck?
I wouldn’t say it is luck, I would say it is favour, I would say it is the grace of God and the His favour.
Are your parents in complete support of you being a beauty queen knowing
the distraction and exposure that comes with the crown and fame?
They are happy for me, they trust me and are really proud of me. They
are never too far from me, they ensure that I don’t get carried away by
the fame, I still live by the rules, they are my parents and I am still
their baby, they have raised me well and trust me to make the right
decisions even when they are not with me, so I will say yes, they
support me completely.
You know the story of Malala Yousafzai who almost lost her life for her
activism for rights to Education and for women in Pakistan, is your
campaign for Education also about the women?
For me everyone deserves Education. Education is a basic human right and
my mission is to make sure that States act now to deliver the right of
everyone to a free, quality, public education. Every child needs a
teacher, every child needs Equal rights and equal opportunity. If we
make this a national call, Together we can hold Governments to account
for their promises repeatedly made to provide Education for All.
What motivated you to start this Education campaign?
Honestly, the need for good basic education cannot be over emphasized.
Late Nelson Mandela said “Education is the most powerful weapon which
you can use to change the world”. I am driven by the conviction that
quality Education for all is Achievable and I am also concerned about
the serious cost of failure to deliver the right to Education. In the
Global Campaign for Education it is believed that in an increasingly
knowledge-based economy, exclusion from education will translate into
growing poverty, inequality and deprivation. I believe Education is a
universal human right, Education is the key to poverty alleviation and
sustainable human development, Education is a core responsibility of the
state, and Education is achievable if Government mobillize the
political will and available resources.
You seem very passionate about this education campaign, what practical steps have you taken towards it?
Presently, I am doing a school and street tour, I go to different
schools across Nigeria to motivate and encourage the pupils and
students on the need to stay focused and determined to excel in their
academics irrespective of whatever challenge they may face or are
facing, their eyes should be on the prize, which is to graduate in
flying colors and become agents of change in their states, Nation and
the World at large. I speak to them on humility, hard work, perseverance
and other things that they need to know about, In other words I was
actually Educating them.
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| I am driven by the conviction that quality Education for all is Achievable and I am also concerned about the serious cost of failure to deliver the right to Education |
What do you aim to achieve with this campaign?
This campaign is not different from the global campaign for education,
what we want to achieve is the same as what people all over the world
want, it’s a call for free and compulsory, quality public basic
education for all children, for at least 8 years. Increased provision of
quality early childhood education and care. The eradication of adult
illiteracy, and a second chance to learn for youths and adults who
missed out on formal education. Fair and regular salaries for teachers.
Properly equipped classrooms and supply of quality text books. Inclusive
and non discriminatory provision of services for all.
Are you considering teaching as a career, or what to do you see yourself doing after school?
I want to be a journalist. So I’m going into Journalism.
What is your philosophy about life?
I take life as a ship sailing on the sea, sometimes it storms and the
ship rocks to right left, back and forward, Sometimes it’s stagnant,
then it begins to sail again. There are different stages in life, every
stage you get to, give thanks to God. That’s what keeps me going.
Before you won the throne, what were you doing?
I had just finished writing my senior WAEC and got a temporary job in an
oil and gas company called Pivot in Port Harcourt. It’s under Honeywell
Group of Companies. I was working as the assistant admin.
Any advice for young girls who are aspiring to be beauty queens in the
nearest future and those who are not aspiring to be beauty queens?
For those young girls who want to be beauty queens. What I would just
advice them is that, no matter what you are doing, always have it in
mind that you are the best, the sky is your stepping stone. You are the
only one that can make yourself or mar yourself. You don’t have to wait
for someone to appreciate you, You have to appreciate yourself before
someone else appreciates you. You have to believe in God and trust Him
that with Him you are not going to fail. You just have to behave
yourself and believe in God.
What’s your reaction to those who say being a beauty queen is cheap?
I will use myself as an example, being a beauty queen is not cheap,
Being a beauty queen entails a lot of things; challenges, a lot of
hardwork a lot of time, You have to be devoted to your work, So to me
being a beauty queen is not cheap at all. Trust me, I have been working
hard and I know what I have gone through.
Ok thank you Anna Banner. Nice talking to you.
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