A.H Yekeen and Haleem Olatunji
Students of the University of Ibadan (Mr. Adekunle Adebajo, Mr. Gbenga Sadik and Mr. Onole Peter Cole) have justified the ‘first and best’ slogan of the institution by coming first while other institutions followed, at the debate competition organized by the University of Ibadan Students’ Union.
Trenchard Hall in the University of Ibadan was, on the 26th October 2016, lightened up with the fire of public speaking when representatives from the University of Ibadan (UI), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Federal University of Agriculture, 
Abeokuta, (FUNAAB), took to the podium to battle via wits and words.
The event, sponsored by Huawei, was a collaboration between University of Ibadan Students’ Union and the institution’s Central Literary and Debating Society to mark the Day 3 of The Union’s Week.
The competition was in two rounds. At the end of the first round, UI, UNILAG, OAU, in that order, all qualified for the next round with 79.2, 75.58, 71.38 points respectively.
The second round took center stage with the topic, ‘Education, a panacea for national transformation’. UI did the double over others by coming top in the oratory round. After the average of the scores in the first and second round were taken, OAU and UNILAG both had 75.25 and 70.95 points respectively, while UI had a score of 81.5 points.
The competition was crowned with the Best Speaker award awarded to Mr. Adekunle Adebajo who represented UI. He had a total of 85.5 points.
In a chat with UCJ Correspondent, Mr. Adekunle Adebajo said that he was delighted to have represented the institution, as the event marked the first time he would be participating in an Inter varsity debate competition.
According to him, “It was a great privilege getting to represent this citadel in what happened to be my debut at any intervarsity speaking contest.”
He appreciated his fellow speakers for the good teamwork displayed, sacrifices made and excellence attained. He added that subsequent administration of the UI Students’ Union should endeavor to continue with such programme.
“I salute my co-speakers for their sacrifice and excellence. And I earnestly hope SU administrations will borrow a leaf from the incumbent by replicating similar programmes”, he said.
