Sanwo-Olu Lauds President’s Inter-Basic Schools Debate Contest

Funmi Ogundare

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has commended the federal government for initiating the President’s Inter-Basic schools debate competition designed to foster social stability and self-reliance among students.

He said this would enable them to easily integrate and exchange academic, intellectual and cultural values for the betterment of the nation at large.

Sanwo-Olu, who disclosed this recently at the national finals and award ceremony of the 61st independence anniversary of the debate championship, said it would foster national peace and unity.

According to the governorship, the championship will also build the spirit of sportsmanship, public speaking and confidence, and capacity development for their future endeavours.

Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, in his keynote, disclosed that his administration had delivered 1,449 school infrastructure projects with the recently commissioned Elemoro Junior Secondary School.

He advised students not to rest on their laurels in achieving success in academics and co-curricular activities, adding that the greatest premium of any state is the development of its students academically.

The governor expressed satisfaction with students’ academic performance in the state as shown in the last West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) result with over 85 per cent excellent performance compared to past years.

“This is as a result of the huge investment in conducive infrastructure, training and retraining of teachers to boost effectiveness and efficiency for a qualitative teaching method and learning in the 21st century in tandem with the Education and Technology pillar of the T.H.E.M.E.S. agenda.”

The National Coordinator of President’s Schools Debate Nigeria, Dare Oritu, disclosed that the three-day rigorous intellectual exercise would help groom young debaters for future competitions such as the annuals; international debate competition.

He thanked the presidency through the Federal Ministry of Education for its unflinching support in the past years while appreciating the Lagos state government for its collaborative role in ensuring that the debate competition is a success story.

In his remark, the Executive Secretary Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hammid Bobboyi, represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary UBEC, Dr. Isiaka Kolawole, noted that the gradual disappearance of debate in basic schools had caused more harm than good, giving room for unhealthy rivalry and other social vices in the system.

“The need to sustain the art of public speaking cannot be overemphasised as a co-curricular activity that boost students oratory skills, and as such must be upheld,” he said.

Kwara won at the end of the national finals, beating Katsina and Lagos to second and third positions, respectively.
The annual national debate competition started with preliminaries among teams across the nation, leaving 10 teams to battle for top places in the finals. The finalists were; Abia, Akwa Ibom, Katsina, Imo, Ogun, Cross River, Benue, Kwara, Lagos states and the police team.

Highlights of the programme were the presentation of an award to UBEC Chairmen of Ogun, Kwara, Abia, Gombe and Akwa Ibom states. Miss Esther Ezenya from Lagos got the best speaker award while the award for the best-behaved team in the competition went to the police team.