By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
Students of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, have participated in this year’s All Nigeria Universities Debating Championships (ANUDC) for the first time.
The students against all odds of first timers reached the semi-finals stage of the competition, a feat not recorded by any first timers in the past.
The Championships which was held at the Veritas University in Abuja was participated by over 40 debating teams from Nigerian Universities across the Country with ATBU students being represented by Two debating teams, Two public speakers and one adjudicator.
The debuting team was led by the President of the Students Union Government (SUG), Comrade Fahad Abdullahi.
The keenly contested events showcased the talents of the ATBU students who successfully broke the 8-rounds of preliminary debates and Public Speaking to advance into the quater and semi-finals of the strenous events.
This is a feat that was never recorded by any debuting team in the past.
Significantly, one of the public speaking representatives of the University, Jane Mann-Effiong, did not only advance to the semi-final, but earned a position as one of the 15 top public speakers of the tournament.
Those who represented the University in the team A and team B of the competition are Umaru Shekoyemi Gift, Emmanuel John, Florence Ogah Abizun and Khairat Oyiza Abdulrazaq.
The participating teams for the public speaking competition are Jane Mann-Effiong, Gbemisola and Henry Goni Patrick.
Another participant was, Muhammad Sadik Abubakar who participated as an Adjudicator where he served on the panel of Judges for seven rounds of the entire debates as contained in a statement by
Zailani Bappa, Director, Directorate of Information and Public Relations.
