This year’s edition of the BSTAN House Fair scheduled to hold in October 2022 is facing imminent disruption by angry Queens over the blatant refusal of the organisers to pay winners of 2021 fair.
The aggrieved beauty Queens who specifically called out the founder and CEO of BSTAN Group, organisers of BSTAN House Fair, Dr Becky Olubukola, accused her of refusing to pay them their monies as well as withholding job opportunities promised them in their terms of engagement.
According to the Queens, after participating in the event and various categories of winners emerged, the organisers, till date, reneged on their contractual obligations even as they rebuffed every attempt at meeting them.
One of the affected queens, Mary Obadofin, said: “After the show, we were promised on a set date to come collect our winnings but till date, nothing has been done. Series of meetings have been held with representatives of the organisation and unfulfilled promises continue to be made till date.
“In the month of July 2021, I received a call from a friend to inform me of the BSTAN National House Fair event to showcase their various houses, lands and promote the brand further. She told me that they are also organising a beauty pageant for beautiful ladies and there are prizes to be won.
“I was reluctant at first but because of the confidence I have in the person as a woman and mother, I decided to register with N5,500 which she was the person I even asked to collect my receipt due to my work. A month later I was asked to come to BSTAN Homes for audition which I did.
“I went there with friends and after the screening and answering most of the questions, I made it through as contestant number 1 and I was given a topic to go work on as my project to present in camp before the event proper. The title of my project was ‘The Importance Of A Girl Child In The Society’.
“A booklet of Ticket was also handed to me to sell to friends that will come and support me on the day of the event, each ticket cost N10,000 and I have 10 tickets in the booklet which is N500,000. I sold N120,000 from tickets and none of the people I sold the tickets to used it, because their entrance was open to everyone, in other words, we were fooled.
“We were asked to pay N30,000 each as camp fee and resume on October 5, 2021 to prepare us for the event proper. At the camp, we went through rigorous dancing steps, catwalk and exercise just to bring colour to the event.
“On Saturday October 9, 2021 which was the grand finale I was pronounced 2nd runner up with certificate, cash and crown presented to me and my prize for the 3rd place was supposed to be N250,000 cash prize, an Ambassadorial Deal and employment as part of the agreement before registration.
“But, I am yet to receive any of the prizes. I and the other winners (Winner and 1st runner up) decided to write them and remind them of the agreement and our prize,” she stated.
Another of the disenfranchised Queens, who bared it, Marie Kent, also narrated her tale of woes with BSTAN Group.
Her words: “On the October 9, 2021, a beauty pageant was held and hosted by a housing company named BSTAN which had 12 beauty queens contesting to win the grand prize of N500,000, a brand new car, a land, a job at the company and an ambassadorial deal.
“After the pageant, I, Marie Kent emerged the winner and was given my award certificate on stage and my cheque and the car key of the car I won. The event had the likes of the Ooni of Ife, actors and actresses, our friends and family were also there to witness the event.
“After the event, the CEO of BSTAN Homes, Dr Becky Olubukola spoke to us and promised our prizes would be given to us after a week. Unfortunately, this is already getting to a year now and nothing has been given, not even the job or ambassadorial deal.
“We were invited to the office after sending a letter requesting for our prizes. We were told by the company’s secretary that the company isn’t responsible for the pageant and Dr Becky isn’t the one who is meant to give us our prizes. This was fraudulently stated while we all know she was in charge and came to promise us our prizes.
“After all the stress we faced physically, mentally and financially, would I end up getting nothing in return? That can never be possible. If they don’t do the needful by paying us our due, we will block all entrance to the next event in October and continue making statements in the press to ridicule the already bad reputation the organization has,” she revealed.
