“You picked me up when I was on my knees” – Chidimma Adetshina thanks Nigerians as she gets appointed ambassador of Enugu State (Photos)

Miss Universe Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina has penned an appreciation post to Nigerians as she bags an appointment with Enugu State government.

The beauty queen, via her Instagram page, revealed that she received the honor of being in the presence of the Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Ndubusi Mbah, and upon her homecoming, she was appointed as the brand ambassador of Enugu State.

Thanking Nigerians, she stated that she couldn’t express her gratitude for all the great things she had achieved in her Father’s land. She appreciated Nigerians for picking her up when she was on her knees.

“I received the honor of being in the presence of the Governor of Enugu state, Dr. Peter Ndubisi Mbah. Upon my homecoming, I was received and appointed as the brand ambassador of Enugu State. I cannot express my gratitude for all the great things I have achieved in my father’s land. Again, Nigeria. THANK YOU for picking me up when I was on my knees”.

Kemi Filani reported last month that Chidimma, who represented Taraba State at the Miss Universe pageant beat 25 others to emerge the winner of the night. The model was crowned the new Miss Universe Nigeria and would represent Nigerians at the Miss Universe pageantry in Mexico.

Chidimma’s journey to winning the title was nothing short of strength, resilience and grace as she was forced to withdraw from the Miss Universe South Africa pageantry in July. South Africans had questioned her citizenship and took to social media to call for her removal. Adetshina is born to a South African mother and a Nigerian father.

Guy Murray-Bruce, the National Director of Miss Universe Nigeria, had invited her to compete in the just concluded MUN 2024.

To worsen things, South Africans had a ploy to overthrow Chidimma, as they massively voted for a plus-sized model representing Kwara State, Ufa Dania, to spite Chidimma. The support from South Africans made Miss Dania, the top-leading lady at the pageantry, with 23901 votes, and Chidimma came second with 23422 votes. But trust Nigerians to always come true for their own as they massively voted for Chidimma, which made her the winner of the night.

In an interview with BBC News Pidgin, Chidimma recounted her emotional journey, as she admitted that it had been a hectic one for her. She expressed sadness that South Africans felt she wasn’t South Africans enough because of her name, despite living in the country for 23 years. She expressed heartbreak that she wasn’t welcomed and accepted.