By Daniel Oyeniyi
Students of Odogbolu Comprehensive High School, Ogun State
have topped the Rufai Oseni debating competition held recently at the Oseni Rufai Centre, Odogbolu.
The competition which was sponsored by a media broadcast mogul, Rufai Oseni, was to discover talents in secondary schools in the State.
The topic of the contest was regionalism is the way forward for Nigeria.
The winners from Odogbolu Comprehensive High School are Victoria Ojo and Esther Anato of the senior secondary arm.
They argued that the practice of regionalism offers a significant financial advantage over Nigeria’s state distribution governance system which often consumes more than expected in decision making.
According to the lead speaker, Ojo, the policy of reliance on internally generated revenue boosted productivity and economic competition among regions in the past, leading to a fast development agenda that brought to life the existence of the first television station in Nigeria, Western Nigerian Television (WNTV).
The school’s second speaker, Esther Anato addressed ethnic marginalization as a potential risk of regionalism, emphasizing that a well-designed constitutional framework can effectively manage it.
The competition, which featured several schools served as a platform for students to present impromptu speeches on other prominent topics capable of fostering development in Nigeria.
According to the sponsor of the annual debate competition, Rufai Oseni, the Odogbolu Comprehensive High School students’ strong pitch and pace led them to win the competition, setting them apart from other participating students.
Oseni further added that students needed to be consistent in the habit of listening to the news to enhance their knowledge of the society around them.