Raymond Agboola
On Saturday, 10 February, 2024, the Union of Campus Journalists, University of Ibadan held the first two preliminary debate rounds of the Professor Francis Egbokhare Inter-Press Debate Competition.
The event which commenced at 8:00 a.m. at the Faculty of Education lecture room F202/203 saw eights teams go against each other in the hall and faculty streams.
The competing press organisations had their speakers go head-to-head against each other in line with the Australasian debating style which the tournament is modelled after. In the faculty stream of the first round, FATSSA Press emerged the winner with 74.15 while AFAS Press had 71.33 while the Clinical Sciences Press emerged the winner against Law Press with a 72.15 win against the 71.85 Law Press had.
In the hall stream of the same round, Idia Hall Press secured a win against ABH Press with 71.4 while the latter had 70.3. In the round between Indy Hall Press and Zik Hall Press, Indy Hall Press emerged the winner with 73.5 against the 72.5 which Zik Hall Press had.
At the end of the first round for the preliminary stage, there was a recess which lasted for 30 minutes, after which the second round took place.
In the hall stream of Round 2, AFAS Press and Law Press debated, in which Law Press secured a win with 74.33 as opposed to the 71.11 which AFAS Press had while FATSSA Press secured a win against Clinical Sciences Press with 78.02 as opposed to the 76.17 Clinical sciences Press had.
In the hall stream of the second preliminary round, Zik Hall Press and ABH Press debated, in which ABH Press emerged the winner with 74.35 and Zik, 71.45. Indy Hall Press emerged winner against Idia Hall Press with 76 against 71.22 which Idia Hall Press had.
The top two qualifying teams with the highest aggregates from these preliminary phases will challenge each other for the title at the Grand Finale.
Round 3, the final preliminary, is scheduled to hold on Saturday, the 17th.
