| DAKOVA faults Face
Of Africa show- Says event must change the lives of our girls
By MIKE OSAGIE, South Africa
Saturday, July 23, 2005
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Dakova
Photos: Sun News Publishing
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One of Nigeria’s most gifted designers, David Kolawole
Vaughan, aka DAKOVA, who represented West Africa as a judge
in the recently held Face Of Africa, sponsored by cell phone
giant Nokia in Sun City, South Africa is up in arms fighting
the cause of the very object of the pageant, pretty goddesses
of Africa. The models
“I have followed this event for quite a while now, and
it pains me that our ladies just represent the various countries
of Africa and go back home empty handed”, a rueful DAKOVA
told Saturday Sun in South Africa.
In his estimation, it makes no sense that all the young, pretty
and most appropriately stunning ladies from Africa will come/attend
the Face of Africa and go home empty handed.
Speaking at the end of the event, Dakova postulated that the
event is one that can easily be likened to the World Cup of
football, and like the World Cup; every player that attends
the event always see their lives changed for the better.
“Now tell me, why should our girls attend this event
and come home dry and empty with only the first top three
winners taking all the glory? I have seen parents whose girls
represent their country hoping that their daughter will come
home and change the lives of their home front.
“But it is sad. This is not usually the case, My idea
is that any girl that represents her country in the event
should return home and see her life changing for the better.
If you look back to what Oluchi did at the event during its
debut, you should have clear insight about what I’m
talking about.
“First it was Oluchi,then Bevinda of Namibia then the
South Africa queen Nombuleleo, now after many years of staging
this event, what hope is there left for the other girls? Situation
whereby the girls that didn’t win any top prize go home
empty handed is nothing but hypocritical and for the event
to live up to expectations, I have proposed that something
should be done for all the girls that come all the way from
their countries to represent them at the grand finale. That
they be compensated with both monetary incentive and moral
incentives.
Return to poverty
It is not out of nothing that Dakova is championing this new
campaign. He has had an unpleasant encounter. Hear him: “I
was recently in Ghana and I saw the girl that took the second
position when Oluchi took the crown. You won’t believe
what I saw, she was languishing in the City of Accra, under
normal circumstances. Her life ought to have changed for good
with the goodwill that ought to have followed her paticipation
at the maiden edition of the M-Net Face of Africa”,
and finishing as runner up.
Dakova says this “brings us to the much talked about
glory that we are talking about. That ought to be the same
story that we should be talking of the Nigerian girls that
followed Oluchi on her way to glory (i.e. Uri Jones and Ayo
Balogun). Now I ask loudly: where are they? While Oluchi is
still enjoying that glory the others while away in slumber”.
And determined to see that his proposal sees the light of
the day, Dakova says he has succeeded in making his point
clear to the new sponsors of the event,Nokia and for them
to succeed where M-Net did not, there is the highest level
of need to make a change.
Dakova as judge
Speaking of his choice as a judge in the event and the voice
of Africa on the high table at the beautiful town of Sun City,
Dakova says when his name was mentioned as a judge, he saw
tears unknowingly running down his cheeks.
“That means, all I have been doing all these years,
my efforts have not gone in vain. The invitation that was
sent to me to be a judge says I was nominated to represent
West Africa because of all the efforts I have committed to
the fashion and style market in Africa. To me, what this means
is that my involvement in the needle/thread business is not
in any way in vain.
Eyes on South Africa.
Speaking on his dream for the much hyped South African market,
Dakova says having visited here for quite a while and having
staged a couple of shows, he now feels it is high time a satellite
shop is opened here in the heart of South Africa..
“Any designer, or in fact any business name, worth his
salt will be deceiving himself or herself without a base in
South Africa, because the place has come to be seen as the
capital of Africa. It boast of opportunity for all, it is
easily the New York of Africa, and not ready to play second
fiddle, I think its high time Dakova comes in here”,
he divulged.
However he was so humble to say that he has no alternative
than to wait for God’s voice before hitting the Rainbow
town because of the many options that is available for him
here.
“I have a lot of people I cloth in Johannesburg, but
one visit to Capetown saw me falling in love with the diverse
nature of the tourist city … and I see my label making
a very huge impact here; I see the town as lacking the brand
of cloths I make, I was carried away when I went shopping
and people stop me on the way saying they love what I do;
unknown to them that is my life, designing is my life.
The design of politics
Beyond designing outfits, Dakova has another well known interest:
politics. “Let it be known that though I design for
a living, I have not given up my dreams of politics”,
he told Saturday Sun.
“I still believe I am the right man to make Lagos what
it is and in future I will bid to be chosen as the Lagos State
Governor. This might sound funny but that is what I saw in
my dream, and I’m sure one day God will make me the
Governor of one of the biggest cities in Africa. I believe
my recent appointment as the Special Adviser to the Honorable
Minister of Work, is the beginning of my entry into politics
all over again. So to put it straight, Dakova is not about
fashion alone, but also about politics” says the needle
and thread king.
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