on March 27, 2011, Onyekachi Gilbert Onwuka, 26, popularly known as Yeka Onka, emerged the winner in the first season of Nigeria’s biggest music talent show, Nigerian Idols, when she pulled it out with her runner up Naomi Mac and achieved her dream.
The reality show, Nigerian idol, kicked off for the first time last year, November 21 and has raised the expectations of Nigerians till its final end on Sunday. Thus Yeka Onka did not only emerge a winner but also the first Nigerian Idol.
It was really a glamorous day for Yeka Onka as she was announced the winner at a star-studded event held at the Dream Studios in the presence of select key guests which includes the crème de la crème of the entertainment industry, sponsors of Nigerian Idol and of course, friends and relatives of the final contestants. The award fetches her, 7.5million naira, a car, a record deal, paid trip to South Africa, and other great prizes.
Yeka Onka, Abia State born girl, has certainly come a long way from being rejected at two screening centres to making it to the last four standing in the maiden edition of the Nigerian Idol. She went for the audition at Enugu and she was rejected for not singing well, then she traveled down to Calabar and got the same response, finally came to Lagos, had her audition and was taken.
Yeka could not help but give glory to God. “What has kept me going is God, he has been my strength and everything” she said. She also said her determination was another thing that helped her. “The other thing that has kept me is my determination, I am a kind of person that if I set my heart to achieve something, I’ll definitely achieve it no matter what I face. And I don’t believe that what will be will be. I believe that I can turn things around to work for me” she said.
Yeka said the first thing she will do from the money is to pay her tithe, and also use some of it to help destitute and hopeless children in her state, Abia State. “I know that N7.5m can’t do that but I’ll just try” she said
Yeka, born to a musician father, shares her experiences and how she will turn her family status around.
The 11 finalists were Ola, Nina, Chito, AJ, Tonii, George, Zoe, Alex, Glory, Bibi and Emmanuel.
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