Etisalat-Sponsored Show, Nigerian Idol In Big Scandal; Fails To Redeem Promise To Winner

Etisalat-Sponsored Show, Nigerian Idol In Big Scandal; Fails To Redeem Promise To Winner Date Posted: 28/09/2013

The proliferation of reality shows in Nigeria is what the government, as a matter of urgency, should work on and probably the National Assembly should also promptly move to curb their activities. The reason is that not only the contestants or prospecting contestants are wounded by their activities, but the general public whom they milked out from through SMS votes and time wasted sitting behind their television sets watching the shows. For Nigerian Idol, sponsored by Etisalat, they may have found themselves in a messy water. This is because the season two winner, Mercy Chinwo, according to reports, has alleged that she has not been given the N7.5million recording contract she won from the competition. At the moment, her music career is partially grounded because the Etisalat-sponsored show has refused to honour their own part of the deal, a year after Mercy emerged winner of the show. Mercy told Encomium magazine, "as I speak to you, I'm one-man standing. I am not in any record label, I am alone. I have to say the truth. I am not or was never tied to any record label." She however confirmed that she has received the SUV and N7.5million cash prize promised her as the winner of the event. Optima Media Group (OMG) is the franchised owner of the Nigerian Idol. The show organisers promised to give the winner of the competition an SUV, N7.5million cash prize and N7.5million recording deal. She was announced winner of the show on Sunday, April 8, 2012 beating Joe Blue.