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Tag: debate

  • UNILAG students shine at debate

    UNILAG students shine at debate

    A 500-Level Engineering student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Faruq Musodiq, has emerged the overall best adjudicator at the second All National Universities Debating Championship.

    About 18 higher institutions participated in contest held at the Julius Berger Hall of the university. Panel of judges was made up of students from the participating schools, with UNILAG having fifteen judges.

    Faruq, who was adjudged the best by the 60 judges, described the feat as surprising and unexpected.

    He said: “When the winners were announced and my name was not called among the first and second runners-up, I thought I had lost out. But when my name was announced as the overall winner, I was shocked. I did not believe I could win among the debaters.”

    A student of UNILAG was also the second runner-up. The next edition of the debate will be hosted by the Imo State University (IMSU).

    Some of the other schools that participated included IMSU, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, University of Ibadan (UI), Baze University, Abuja, University of Calabar (UNICAL), Nnamdi Azikwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, and Ebonyi State University (EBSU).

  • UNILAG shines at varsities’ debate

    The University of Lagos, (UNILAG) represented by the duo of Nathan Odiase and Temitope Ojelade, has won the Second All Nigerian Universities Debating Championship (ANUDC).

    University of Calabar (UNICAL) emerged second while the Imo State University (IMSU) came third.

    The one-week competition, which ended last Thursday at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the university, featured 17 universities across Nigeria.

    In the debate, the UNILAG team opposed the topic: “The House will ban Political Parties in Nigeria”.

    The team argued that the eradication of political parties in Nigeria’s system of government would only result in chaos.

    Supporting Speaker for UNILAG, Temitope, a 500-level student of Physiotherapy said she was not surprised  that her school won because she was really prepared, coupled with the fact that she had gained experience from past competitions,

    “I was the training coordinator for my team. I realised that training people actually made me better because I could actually see the way they analysed issues.  Also my partner and I, apart from the training we do together, set time aside to work on our own research and argument analysis.   Then we decided to put in our best and it was actually a wonderful experience,” she said.

    Nathan, a 200-Level Psychology student of UNILAG, who won the Public Speaking category, said it was a dream come true having been forced to accept second position in many competitions he had participated in previously.

    “The tournament was really competitive. I knew for my speech to stand out I had to put extra effort. I was expecting to be among the best but certainly not the first.  I never saw it coming.  This particular competition was quite special to me because I could be very pessimistic when it comes to my performance; I have a very high standard of judging how I perform; I am not always happy after my performance.

    “I worked very hard. I had sleepless nights to be here. When my name was mentioned, seriously it was just strange because I have been to series of competitions where I came second  or third; I had never come out first. But this time around I broke that record, so  I feel  really happy and fulfilled.”

    David Ogbokiri, who represented IMSU, had mixed feelings about his performance. He won the Best Debate Speaker and came second in the Public Speaking category. He had hoped to go home with the overall trophy but to his dismay, his school came third.

    “From my performance, I knew I was going to be the winner. I came out second in the preliminary stage and it was obvious for me that I would emerge the best debate speaker.  I was very happy when my name was called out but to my dismay, my school came third.

    “It is painful because I was prepared enough to get to the top. But all the same it is a good thing that my school came this far in the competition.  This competition has really harnessed my ability to prepare myself for the future,” he said.

    Mr Ndubuisi Osagwu, a UNICAL lecturer, and former Director, ANUDC,  said he was happy that his institution made it to the final. He said  debating is a culture in his school.

    Speaking on the ideals behind the contest, he said it is to inculcate the culture of discussion as a solution to resolving conflicts in the Nigerian youth.

    He said: “Where you have difficulties is where one person is talking and  not giving the other person  an opportunity to talk; there is no discussion, no dialogue, all you have is monologue; and there can’t be peace in that kind of situation.  We believe that if we catch the Nigerian youth through the universities, and these are the future leaders of this country, we should then be able to get to a point where we shall not be relying on thuggery and other vices; we should then get to a point where we discuss our problems and resolve it without having to go to war. Once one engages in discussion and we listen to each other we will be able to resolve our problems.”

    He advised universities to key into the competition and urged the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to fund it so as to give students a more-rounded education.

    The UNILAG Vice Chancellor, Prof Rahamon Bello, congratulated the participating schools and declared them winners for participating in the contest.

    Also, the Dean, Students’ Affairs, UNILAG, Prof Tunde Babawale, expressed joy that UNILAG successfully hosted the competition. He noted that the Championship provided a platform for UNILAG students to sharpen their skills within the limited available resources.

    Mr Victor Onuoha, who represented the NUC Executive Secretary, Prof Julius Okojie, underscored the importance of the championship. He applauded the adjudicators, participants, and UNILAG for being wonderful hosts.

     

  • Candidates to debate again in Abia

    Candidates to debate again in Abia

    After the success of the maiden edition, candidates vying for office in Abia State will take on one another and seek to convince the electorate to vote for them.

    The event, according to its organisers, Modern Communication Limited (MCL), is billed to hold in Umuahia, the capital, and Aba, the commercial nerve, in February.

    It will feature candidates of various parties contesting for various elective positions in the state.

    The General Manager (MCL), Mr. Ogwo Agu at a press briefing, disclosed that the essence of the media chat which would be transmitted live on their terrestrial network stations in Umuahia and Aba.

    He said the effort was part of the company’s social responsibility in providing a platform for the candidates seeking various elective positions in the state to present publicly their programmes.

    He said the programme would also provide the opportunity for the electorate to ask the candidates  questions.

    He also said a team of seasoned media professionals, captains of industry, civil rights activists would be on hand to seek answers from those who lead the state.

    Questions, it was said, will be asked in virtually every sector of the economy.

    Agu added that invitations had been sent to the expected candidates.

    Agu disclosed that the media chat featuring candidates for National Assembly positions from the Umuahia zone would hold on February 6 while that of the Aba zone would hold on February 7.

    He said that the debate sessions for governorship candidates would hold on February 20 and 21 in Umuahia and Aba, expressing the hope that the event would not only serve as any eye opener for the electorate in choosing whom to cast their votes for, but also add value to the building of a healthy democratic process in the state.

    The MCL General Manager who described the maiden edition of the programme as a successful one stated that participation in the exercise which they hope to sustain was free for all the candidates and added that they were acting according to NBC (Nigeria Broadcasting Commission) and INEC election guidelines.

    “Abians want the best in 2015 and we will never look back in giving them the best; that is why we are soliciting the assistance of you journalists, our colleagues from other media to help us make this year’s event worthwhile,” he said.

     

  • Corps members hold debate for pupils

    Corps members hold debate for pupils

    Members of the Editorial Board of the Taraba State directorate of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have organised a debate contest for Senior Secondary School pupils in Jalingo, the state capital.

    The contest was held at the Federal Science and Technical College and supported by the Ministry of Education. Four schools, including Government College, Rhema Christian Academy, Federal Government Girls’ College, and the host school, participated in the competition.

    Guest at the event included the representative of the Commissioner of Education, Mr Umar Aliu, representative of the NYSC State Coordinator, Mr Ban John, the principal of the host school, Dr E.O. Adeola, and NYSC Inspector in Jalingo, Mr Joseph Upkabuchi, amongst others.

    Dr Adeola praised the editorial crew for organising an educative event to bring the best out of students. He enjoined the Corps members to sustain the exercise, urging the participants to avail themselves of the opportunities presented to them by the organisers.

    The debate divided in stages. In the first phase, Federal Government Girls’ College contested against Government College on the topic: Academic performance is positively affected by the media.

    The second phase had Rhema Christian College against the Federal College of Science and Technology on the topic: Stay home mothers are better than working mothers.

    The judges, comprising officials of the Education ministry and the NYSC Public Relations Officer, Mr Daniels Esiemokai announced the winners for the rounds. Government College and Rhema Christian College, who won the first and second phases, met on the topic: Federal system of government is better than unitary system. Government College supported the motion, while Rhema Christian College opposed it.

    At the end of the exercise, Rhema College won the debate, while Government College came second. Pauline Samson, a Senior Secondary School Three student of Federal Science and Technical College emerged the best debater, while Ruth Okoye of Rhema Christian College came second. Prizes were given to the two outstanding schools and debaters.

    The president of the Editorial Board, Fineface Welechi, a Batch “C” Corps member, saluted the pupils for putting their best in the contest. He encouraged them to remain steadfast in their academic endeavour. Welechi praised ministry and the management of the NYSC in the state for their support.

     

     

  • The fuel price slash debate

    The fuel price slash debate

    •This is unnecessary; FG should get more refineries on board

    In the heat of the clamour by a broad section of Nigerians for the reduction of fuel prices last December, finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had reportedly told those behind the agitation to wait until oil prices plunged below the $60 mark to have their wish. According to her: “preliminary estimates show that the break-even crude oil price at which the landed cost of PMS will equal our current price of N97 per litre so that there will no longer be subsidy is about $60 per barrel … It is only when the crude oil price (Bonny Light) falls below this level that the pump price of PMS (which includes N15.49 per litre distribution and Petroleum Equalisation Fund cost) can begin to come down”.

    On Monday last week, that moment came to fulfillment: the global benchmark Brent crude closed at $57.94 per barrel–more than two dollars ($2) below the threshold announced by the minister. The same oil sold for $115 a barrel (a reduction by more than 50 percent) in June last year – a little more than six months ago. Today, many oil producing countries have since reflected the new reality in their domestic fuel prices. These factors, including the fact that fuel price is known to be higher in Nigeria than all other OPEC members except Angola obviously makes the case for price reduction compelling at this time.

    Now, what is the Federal Government’s case for retaining the present pump price? The most obvious explanation is that the government believes that the current prices would be temporary. The other explanation stems from what the Petroleum Products Prices Regulatory Agency, (PPPRA)’s figures indicate. We refer to the PPPRA’s Expected Open Market Price (EOMP) template for Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) of last week which read N97.90 – meaning that the government still believes that there is a N0.90 kobo subsidy on petrol price. These apparently appear to inform the government’s strategy of treading cautiously on the matter of the current pricing template. There is a possible third factor – the possibility of shoring up government revenues from the differentials.

    But should these suffice to deny Nigerians of the benefit of a price reduction? We do not think so.

    However, it would appear that the issues are far more fundamental than the current fixation with fuel price reduction would ever sufficiently capture. Indeed, the issue of fuel price reduction merely underlies a profound pathology – the astounding myopia that has afflicted government’s policies in the downstream sector. It starts with the regime under which the Federal Government has long abdicated its responsibility to some dark invisible market forces. It extends to the rent-laden PPPRA template under which the nation is fleeced of billions annually. The pathology explains why OPEC’s sixth largest producer cannot refine sufficient crude for its domestic requirements; it explains the presence of  hordes of speculators and rent-seekers in the fuel distribution chain. It explains why the government would retain N458.68 billion in the 2015 budget to fund subsidy claims. The pathology – unfortunately – is at the heart of the current discourse – the question of whether Nigerians can ever benefit in any event of falling crude price, either now or in the future.

    Clearly, we find the debate misdirected. The reason is simple: with the current wholesale reliance on fuel imports, it should not be hard to appreciate why the landing cost of fuel would remain high to the extent that costs would depend on foreign currency movements, particularly the United States dollar. In the same way, it stands to reason that a country that imports nearly the whole of its fuel cannot devalue its currency by some 20 percent without expecting to suffer cost backlash. At nearly N180 to the United States dollar, for example, as against N160 a few months back, what it means is that the country would need more naira to import the same quantity of refined products. The pressure thus generated on the foreign exchange market translates to higher possibility of more losses in value for the national currency – a vicious cycle – a potentially loss-loss situation for the country and the people whether in the short or long run.  At this time, the debate ought to be how to get out of this vicious cycle.

    Lest we forget; the obverse side is that the government actually benefits from the devaluation – the direct result of more naira from crude sales; the same government that now seeks to deny citizens the benefit of cost reduction in oil.

    We continue to make the point that the greatest tragedy in all of this is the government’s pathetic response to the oil price slump. That the emerging fallouts from the oil price slump could not have been foreseen obviously beats imagination. And while much has been said about the current situation as providing the government a great opportunity to take another look at its policies in the sector, what we have seen thus far is the government limping on as if the problems would by themselves disappear without proactive steps taken by government to take them on.

    The solution, in our view, cannot be clearer today than it was 10 or 15 years ago: the nation needs new refineries to meet its domestic fuel requirements. That way, fuel pricing would not only be less subject to the vagaries of international currency fluctuations; it would also afford the nation immense opportunities to optimise earnings on the wasting asset.

  • Ohakim challenges Okorocha to debate

    Ohakim challenges Okorocha to debate

    A former Imo State Governor Ikedi Ohakim has challenged Governor Rochas Okorocha to a public debate.

    The former governor said this would enable him to correct what the alleged lies peddled against his administration.

    He said he could no longer tolerate the daily tarnishing of his name by his detractors,  despite the achievements and transformation of the state when he was governor.

    Ohakim said: “I hereby ring the bell for the debate to commence, not an attack. No one should attack any person, including the governor. Let us debate issues and policies. Today, we have come to speak. We have come to answer the question: what did Ohakim achieve, on the other hand, and what did Ohakim buy from the market we sent him, on the other? How much did we give him to go to the market? Those things he bought, were they for himself or for the people?”

    The former governor spoke at the weekend when he gave the scorecard of his administration from 2007 to 2011, titled: Legacies That Speak.

    Ohakim said his administration always put the masses at heart in the implementation of its programmes, adding that he reduced poverty compared to the present administration.

    The former governor alleged that Okorocha caused more hardship with the sack of some employees he inherited from the preceding administration.

    He alleged that the hardship arose from the sack of the Imo Concord Hotel workers, the dissolution of the elected executives of the local government areas his administration put in place and the sack of Imo Transport Company (ITC) workers.

    Ohakim alleged that the sack of the workers had caused over N1.8 billion monthly to be withdrawn from the state’s economy.

    He said: “Let me raise the alarm that child poverty, involving children below 18, has also emerged as a major dimension of poverty in Imo State. Let the debate begin. Let us put our differences away and face the realities staring us in the face.”

    “I speak for posterity, for unemployed youths, traders and artisans. I speak for our people dying of hunger; our people are perishing and money is not circulating.”

  • NUJ plans debate for candidates

    The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Osun State Council, in collaboration with all the state broadcasting stations, is planning a debate for all governorship candidates in the August 9 poll in the state.

    The debate will be transmitted live by the broadcasting stations in the state as part of the efforts of the NUJ to ensure peaceful governorship election.

    According to a statement by the Chairman of the union, Mr. Abiodun Olalere, and Secretary, Bamigbola Gbolagunte,  the debate will  hold on Monday, August 4 at the White Plain Hotel, Osogbo by 3.30pm.

    The six governorship candidates that have been duly invited for the two-hour live broadcast debate are Hon. Niyi Owolade of the Accord Party, Senator Sunday Fajinmi of the Alliance for Democracy, Mr Rauf Aregbesola of the All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade of the Labour Party, Senator Iyiola Omisore of the Peoples Democratic Party and Mr. Segun Akinwusi of the Social Democratic Party.

  • Pupils shine in math, debate contest

    Director of Ferscoat Schools, Olude, Ipaja, Felix Opata has assured pupils a more conducive atmosphere to enable them attain their academic goals in the school.

    Opata gave this assurance while receiving some pupils that won laurels for the school in various competitions

    He praised them for promoting the school’s image through their performance.

    “The success of our pupils have once again proved what we are doing at Ferscoat we train them to be worthy ambassadors who can stand on their own in future”. We are proud of what they did and this in line with our policy of bringing out the best in a child.

    Ferscoat which was established in 1992 came first in the National Mathematics Competitions organised by Murhi International Television (MITV) on May 26 courtesy of Rilwan Adebayo and Bankole Fasuyan.

    The trio of Abies Orasanye, Shikemi Alamutu and Pelumi Gbadamosi also did the school proud by winning the MITV Talent Zone Debating competition on May 19, 2014.

    The school came second in the primary category through its representatives Ayomikun Ayobami and Fawaz Kadiri.

    Opata said he was not surprised by their achievements given the investment the management has made to improve the classrooms and boarding facilities, equip laboratories among others.

    Ferscoat recorded 100 per cent performance in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 2011, 2012 and 2013; while a pupil of the school Tofunmi Ogungbaigbe had the second best performance in WAEC in Lagos in 2012.

     

  • History students contest in debate

    Members of the National Association of History and International Studies at the Imo State University have held a debate titiled: “Did Europe actually underdevelop Africa?”at the Faculty of Humanities.

    In her remarks, Chairman of the session, Ekeanyanwu Chinmma,  said the inter – class debate was aimed at inspiring positive change on the mindset of students.

    President of the department, Nwadiaro Sylvester, stated the initiative would help provide answers to the intellectual needs of the students.

    He thanked the Staff Adviser, Mr Jerry Nwoke, Head of Department, Prof John Cliff Nwadike, Dr Martins Woko and students for turning out en masse for the debate.

    Nwoke said he was happy to see his students engage in healthy intellectual engagements, adding that the debate would deepen the knowledge base of the students.

    He praised the executives and organisers of the event, stating that the department would work effortlessly to improve the debate.  After series of argument from both sides, the supporting team won, convincing the judges that Europe underdeveloped Africa mainly through the enthronement of boundary dispute, political dependency, slave trade, capitalism and neo-colonialism.

    Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, Chima Anaele, 300-Level, said: “I am happy to be one of the speakers in this debate. I feel more needs to be done to improve the standard of the debate from the binary style to the global debating standard which is the British Parliamentary system of debating”.

  • Osun varsity wins debate

    Osun varsity wins debate

    The Osun State University (UNIOSUN) has emerged the second runner up in the 2014 Africa Regional Inter-University Debate Competition organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Institute for African Culture and International Understanding in partnership with the Centre for Human Security and Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library.

    The university was represented by Temiloluwa Ogundele, a 200-Level Law student,  and Olusegun Faleyimu, a 200-Level Languages and Linguistics student.

    The objective of the debate was to enhance communication and literary skills of African students and provide a scholarship platform with a long-term benefit of promoting African unity and derive solutions to developmental challenges facing African countries.

    Thirteen African countries, including Benin Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Niger Republic, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Nigeria participated in the debate. Crawford University and Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone won first and second positions respectively, while UNIOSUN came third.

    Temiloluwa was adjudged the best speaker in one of the sessions. The award was presented by the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Centre for Human Security, Professor Akin Mabogunje.

    The event was attended by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof Hassana Alidou, Director of UNESCO Regional Multi-Sectorial Office for West Africa, Dr Minkailu Bah; Minister of Education, Science and Technology in Sierra Leone, Prof Juma Shabani, Prof Tunde Babawale, Prof Peter Okebukola, Dr Mary Khimulu and Dr Christopher Kolade.