The first edition of the Yinka Odumakin Inter-Faculty debate competition kicked off on Tuesday, April 2, at the Students’ Union TV Room. The debate is one of the two-day activities that the Students’ Union has organized in honour of renowned activist and former Public Relations Officer of the Union, Yinka Odumakin.
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Recall it was reported by ACJOAU that, The Great Ife Students’ Union was set to hold the inaugural Yinka Odumakin Inter-Faculty Debate and Public Lecture on April 2nd and 3rd, 2024 respectively, at the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University.
The Public Relations Officer of the Great Ife Students’ Union, Omisore Elijah in his welcome address, tendered an unreserved apology for the uncomfortable situation of the venue. ‘This is the Maiden Edition of the Yinka Odumakin debate and Public lecture. I believe that next year will be a grand style. The Inter-Faculty debate will be among 14 faculties. I believe this program will be grand’, He said.
There was a chit-chat between the host, Ewaoluwa and the audience and they shared opinions on whether an activist should be involved in politics or not. The Judges were Mr Oluwafẹmi Ajogonlo and Mr Ogunperi Taofeek, the Great Ife Public Relations Officer, 2021/2022 parliamentary session’
The debate was being judged based on 5 criteria.
- Content – 40 points,
- Composure/ delivery- 20 points,
- Time Management – 20 points
- Diction – 10 points
- Appearance -10 points.
In the first round, all the 14 faculties competed against each other in pairs. Pharmacy versus Social sciences; Technology versus Environmental Design and Management, Computing Science and Engineering versus Medicine, Agriculture versus Sciences; Arts versus Education, Basic Medical sciences versus Law, and Dentistry versus Administration. However, the faculty of Dentistry was absent.
‘Should tertiary education be the minimum qualification to run for political offices in Nigeria?'(Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences – Law)
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‘Which should be prioritised in public universities in Nigeria: Affordability or quality?’ (Faculty of Art – Faculty of Education)
‘Economic Policies in Nigeria: Fuel Subsidy, Tax and Tariff Increment, is it making or marring us?’ ( Faculty of Agriculture – Faculty of Science)
”Banning the importation of goods that can be produced locally here in Nigeria, for economic growth, a way forward or a step backwards?’. ( Faculty of Pharmacy – Social Sciences)
‘Is merging of sectors with similar roles to reduce the cost of governance a solution or Delusion?’ Computer and Engineering – Medicine)
‘Stringent Measures on Emigration in Solving Brain Drain in Nigeria, a step in the right direction or not?’ ( Faculty of Administration – Dentistry)
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‘Would extensive adoption of artificial intelligence across sectors in Nigeria be a blessing or menace?’ ( Faculty of Technology – Environmental Design and Management)
After the first round, the judges gave their feedback. The Faculty of Computing Science and Engineering was tied with Clinical Medical Sciences and they were asked to come forward to debate to break the tie. Two different topics were given to the two faculties to avoid one being more advantaged.
The topic for Computing Science and Engineering was ‘Affirmative Actions in Education: Should Catchment Areas Exist?’ The topic for the faculty of Clinical Sciences was ‘Elimination of Classes in Awarding Degrees: Should be or Should not Be?’ Each speaker was allowed to pick a side; support or oppose, and had 3 minutes to speak.
The faculties of Social sciences, Technology, Computer science and Engineering, Agriculture, Arts, Law, Administration and Basic Medical sciences showcased creativity and secured their passage to the next stage. Their exceptional performance in the first round sets a high standard for the rest of the competition, promising more intellectual fireworks in the coming rounds.
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In the Second round, each speaker had 3 minutes to speak as there was just one representative for each faculty. The topics were:
‘Who is to blame for insecurities in Nigeria, the Government or the enforcement Agencies?’ (Faculty of Agriculture – Basic Medical Sciences)
‘LGBTQ: should the government legislate over sexuality?’ (Faculty of Computing Science and Engineering – Arts)
Is active participation of youth the solution to bad governance in Nigeria? (Faculty of Technology – Faculty of Social Sciences)
‘Who is the person to blame for the unending circle of corruption in the Government?’ ( Faculty of Law – Faculty of Administration).
After an amazing demonstration of intellectual prowess, the faculties that made it to the final round were the faculty of Arts with 78 points, the faculty of Technology with 78 points, the faculty of Agriculture with 84.5 points and the faculty of Law with 90 points.
Conclusively, the final round is expected to be held tomorrow, Wednesday, 3rd of April, by 9:30 AM at Oduduwa Hall. It promises to be a clash of titans as these top teams vie for victory