Miss eXceL Plus is a pageant organized by XL Productions. The show seeks to inculcate the habit of a sustainable healthy living habit in plus-size ladies. This is done through a structural weight management program placing emphasis on good nutrition, exercise and rest.
Though a brilliant pageant, it’s always fraught with issues of price package for its winners after the grand finale. In the 2010 edition of the pageant, CEO of Miss eXcel Productions, Miss Louisa Boakye, was alleged to have refused to hand over the prize package to the winner of the pageant – Miss Gloria Kafui Amegah.
Miss Gloria instituted a court action at the Accra High Court, against XL Productions Company to release to her the KIA Picanto Saloon Car which she won as her prize in the 2010 beauty contest. She further prayed the court to compel the company to pay for her two-week trip to Dubai, and general damages of GH¢25,000, for breach of contract.
Miss Amegah also prayed the court to place a perpetual injunction restraining XL Productions Company from organizing the grand finale of the 2011 Miss eXcel Plus Pageant Contest.
However, Miss Louisa came out to say that “the winner, who is currently enjoying a contract with Ever Pure Company, would receive her car after her one year official duties. The Dubai trip which is part of the prize package is still pending because the winner has failed to submit her passport for visa acquisition.”
The very latest price package controversy about Miss eXcel Plus that has come to the desk of GhanaCelebrities.Com, is that, winners of the 2012 and 2013 editions have allegedly not received their winning price package which the organizers promised them.
Sharing her ordeal, Lawrencia Chelsea, winner of the 2012 edition, told GhanaCelebrities.Com “they promised me a car but I’ve not received it. Right from the beginning of the pageant, we (all contestants) were all made to believe the ultimate winner will drive home a Kia Picanto.”
According to Lawrencia, when she started demanding for the car sometime ago – which made Kofi Adomah of Adom 106.3 FM do a story that Miss eXcel Plus organizers have refused to give her the car, that was when “they said it’s an official car. And even with that, the car was not at my disposal when I needed it. Meanwhile, on the night of the grand finale, the car was right at the National Theater.
Several journalists reported that I took home a car – Kia Picanto. Graphic Showbiz, Daily Guide, Mirror and others did. Are they trying to tell me those renowned journalists did not hear well to write such stories? You can ask why they didn’t publish rejoinder when those newspapers published it.
They promised me a land but as we speak, they have given me part documents to the land but not all the land title documents. My lawyer is still insisting they bring all the necessary documents whilst I start building on the land, else, I will lose it.”
Lawrencia further disclosed that because the organizers always want to have a leeway to extricate themselves when there is a problem “in the agreement, they never stated any price. That is what they usually do. They never stated it! They also promised me of a year’s grooming service, I did not get it.”
Speaking to the PRO of XL Productions, Madam Ami, she said “we never promised the ultimate winner any car as a price package. The car was a car meant for official works and not for the private use of the winner as a winning package.
Asked what she meant by official works, she explained that “official in this sense means any interview or meeting that the ultimate winner is suppose to be present on behalf of Miss eXcel Plus. The duration for the use of the car was for one year which elapsed after the year 2012.”
On the 2013 edition, the organizers of the pageant promised all three winners – winner, first and second runners up of the 2013 edition of the pageant, a seven days sponsored travelling package to South Africa by one of the sponsors of the pageant – Seasons Travel and Tours International.
Several online and newspaper reports confirmed that the organizers indeed promised the winners of the said travelling trip. Quoting one of the reports: “Doreenda, also known as Egyiriba beat 10 other contestants: Rhoda, Dolling, Abi, Bell, Naa, Nadia, B.B. Enam, P.M and Zion to win the crown at stake.
For her prize, she will receive a parcel of land from Sure Testimony Estates, a week’s stay in South Africa courtesy Season Travel and Tour and a year’s grooming service from Jubens. Gifty Hammond aka DD, 28, a graduate of Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) came second and will take home a set of living room furniture from Blessed Suppliers, a week’s stay in South Africa, six months grooming service and hampers.
For coming third, Enam Sika Tetevi, 19, a past student of Ola Girls’ Secondary School will walk away with a fridge, hampers, three months grooming service and a week’s stay in South Africa.”
However, the second runner up – Enam Sika Tetevi and first runner up – Gifty Hammond aka DD, have all alleged they have not been taken to South Africa as the organizers promised them.
Again, President of Seasons Travel and Tours International, Eric Bannerman, was reported by Chris Twum in ‘The Chronicle’ on 22nd October, 2013 in which he said “I have been following the pageant since its inception and I have realized that, none of the winners have travelled outside before.
They only travel to the other regions of the country, so my company is coming on board as sponsors to take the three winners on a trip to South Africa for a week-long stay.” He continued that, the management of his company will take care of all the expenses of the three winners, right from Accra to and while in South Africa, during their seven-day stay.
Finally, pictures on the grand finale – held at the forecourt of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) on Saturday, 21st Dec, 2013, shows shots in which the ultimate winner, first and second runners up, respectively, presented with dummy tickets as surety of their supposed trip to South Africa.
But, in the face of all the above facts, the General Manager of XL Production, Kwadwo Preko Dankwa, said “we made that promise to the ultimate winner and not the runners-up. Only the ultimate winner is supposed to benefit from the travelling package, not the runners-up.”
GhanaCelebrities.Com wishes them well in their endeavour to help give confidence to ‘Obolo’ ladies in Ghana but must do this, backed by truth. Until then…MOTWUM!!
Am not surprise, most of these organizers are scammers