And the Ultimate Man is....

The Last man standing

The Last lady standing.

“The past 20 days has been a period of upheaval for our contestants”, says Narrator, Femi Sowoolu as actions opens on the final day of this season’s Gulder Ultimate Search VI.The Narrator, aided by a montage of highlights of actions from past episodes of the show, traced the story of this year’s adventure into the jungle for Quest for the Horn of Valour.The recap traced the journey of the 10 Order of Heroes - Vivian Okafor, Elvis Abogu, Melvin Oduah, Adaeze Nwogu, Chisom Egemasi, Deborah Omekhigien, Olawale Akanbi, Uche Nwaezeakpu, Chuks Okorji and Oseyiomon Okoh – from the regional screenings to the rigorous national screening at the Sea School, Lagos.

The merriment and razzmatazz that heralded their emergence from among the thousands of youths that applied to participate in the show from across the country, the glitz, glamour and excitement of the Gala Nite in Lagos, they drove straight into the waiting arms of Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola who treated to a lavish welcome dinner at the Government House in the ancient town of Osogbo, capital of Osun State.All these soon becomes a mirage as the Narrator said, “the joy of being chosen, the hotels and the glitz of Governor’s welcome soon fade into the background, giving way to the harshness of jungle existence, as the Search for The Horn of Valour becomes real.”Dropped in the middle of nowhere, the contestants’ first task inside the jungle was to find the spot where their shelter was to be built.

From the building of the first Palm-Boo Camp, to the shifting of the camp to another location in the jungle, to the tasks dished out to the contestants in this year’s Search which were tougher than ever before, according to the Narrator, viewers witnessed an adrenaline-filled show. From some life-threatening mud-wrestling to balancing on a tree stump for three hours, the 10 Hunters in the Order of Heroes of the Quest for the Horn of Valour were stretched to the limit of human endurance. This is not forgetting the days, sometimes running to weeks of starvation, eating raw or roasted food in most cases.Soon, the elements began to take their toll on the contestants and one after the other; they begin to fall by the way side. Adaeze Nwogu (popularly known as Ada) was the first victim claimed by the elements of Omodo forest. Indeed, her fellow Hunters were happy to see her go.

Deborah Omekhigien was still celebrating the eviction of Ada when the elements made a mince meal of her Quest when she failed a task. Also known as Debby, Debby was the second evictee of the Gulder Ultimate Search VI.Of course, how can viewers forget the predictable eviction of Wale Akanbi, who like Samuel in the second season of the Gulder Ultimate Search, lost the battle for the Ultimate Prize for negligence by losing the most sacred element of Gulder Ultimate Search, the Totem.We also relived the long overdue and anticipated eviction of Chuks Okorji, the handsome looking male contestant who was beaten to every task by his female counterparts.The beauty team work during the group tasks, the joy of victory, and the pain of failure during individual and group tasks, particularly, the events that led to the double eviction of Elvis Abogun and Oseyiomon Okoh, the pair who failed the popping ball group task.The emotion that played out during the eviction of diminutive Amazon of Palm-Boo Camp, Vivien refreshed viewers’ memories of an emotion-laden evening when Show Host/Presenter, Bob-Manuel Udokwu sent her packing from the competition at the Place of the Talking Drum for falling below standards during the day’s task. Scenes of her sobbing, crying and shedding tears will remain indelible in viewers’ minds.

And as it turned out, not even Chisom’s reserve “fuel” could save her as the Search for the Horn of Valour reaches its final stages. She fell to the elements while, our finalists, Melvin Oduah, Adaeze and, Uche Nwaezeakpu moved on to the last day of Search. Nevertheless, Bob and even fellow contestants commended her for her sterling performance and for emerging the season’s Last Girl Standing (LGS)Having to move camp again, Bob was kind enough to provide mobile tenets for the finalists to pass the night on the Hills of the Heavens waiting for the final Search.As they wait sunrise for the final Search, Melvin and Uche talked about their strategies. Uche says he’s going to work on his mindset to keep his focus at all times during the Search, while Melvin opined he would overcome his nervousness and remain focus to grab the Ultimate prize. The question remains, who among these two will be crowned the Ultimate Man this season.Bob too couldn’t wait to see who emerges the Ultimate Man by finding the Horn of Valour. “This is the day… Gentlemen, once again from me to you, good luck and may the best man wins.”

With this, the potential Ultimate Men set off in Search of the Horn of Valour in the Hills of the Heavens and its environs. The Search saw them traverse thick and deep jungle, steep and rocky slopes of the surrounding mountain range, clutching their water bottle, their only gadget for the journey.The fall upon clues upon clues, riddles after riddles, still they persist, confronting the elements on their resolve to find the Horn of Valour. At last they found the last part of the calabash map which led them back to the Hills of the Heaven.After a frantic and desperate Search that last for hours, Uche Uwaezeapu shouted from the distance: “Yes I found something!”

Bob asked his to unwrap the strange object in concealed in an ancient sack made from the bark of a tree. He did, out comes the Horn of Valour the Order of Hoeroes have been Searcing for in the last 21 days. By that discovery, Uche Uwaezeapu becomes the sixth successive Ultimate Man and winner of the Gulder Ultimate Search VI.Uche hails from Delta State. Uche says his biggest fear “is not getting rich. I must be rich. I dread the idea of not being rich in life.”For the 26 years old graduate of economics, his strongest characteristics is his “dress sense,” Uche craves a holiday in the Bahamas

Culled from gulderultimatesearch.tv