A
great shock awaits the 12 contestants in this year’s edition of the
Gulder Ultimate Search when they get to Usaka jungle, where the contest
will take place.
Situated in a thick
forest in Usaka village, two hours from Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom
State, the hilly jungle boasts wild plants, tall trees and grasses. In
addition, the contestants will have soldier ants, bees and reptiles for
company while the competition lasts. Certainly, it will not be a smooth
sail for the faint-hearted among them.
But the task master, Taiwo Aliu, says the contestants will be drilled in rigorous exercises as soon as they enter the jungle.
“They will get to the
jungle late in the evening and it will take them about two hours to
arrive in their camp. They will need to set up their tent and make it
habitable. Only God knows when they will be able to complete that task,”
he says.
But obviously unaware of
the ‘terror’ that awaits them, the contestants, who looked resplendent
in their native African dresses, had fun at the Akwa Ibom Government
House, where they paid a courtesy visit to Governor Godswill Akpabio.
Impressed by their
appearances and comportment, the governor wondered aloud, at a point,
how they could possibly survive in the jungle.
But, Mr. Tony
Agenmonmen, the Marketing Manager of Star Lager, Nigerian Breweries Plc,
explained that the blueblood looking contestants had undergone
strenuous physical and psychological exercises, thorough medical
examinations and gruelling interview sessions before panels.
“The 12 young male and
female Nigerians I present to you today had to undergo a series of
exercises to test their physical strength, mental alertness, medical
fitness and other assessments. These young individuals were carefully
selected out of over 33,000 people that registered for this programme.
They qualified on merit,” Agenmonmen said.
Akpabio commended the
contestants and the Gulder brand as he described the decision to host
GUS in Akwa Ibom State as timely. “This year is our silver jubilee
celebration. This is a period of celebration for us in the state. May I
say that celebration will never cease from your lives,” he stated.
The show will start airing on selected TV stations this Saturday.
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