By Diana Omueza

Miss Goodluck Akinlawon, a 400-level law student of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, has emerged the winner of Amnesty International Nigeria Intervarsity Debate Competition.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Miss Odebela Onamela of Baze University, Abuja, came second, while Mr Alexander Boro of the University of Benin, Edo, came third.

The fourth position went to Mr Oladele Oluwanifemi of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

The competition featured participation from 16 universities across Nigeria and engaged students in exploring critical discussions on contemporary human rights issues while fostering a new generation of human rights defenders.

The Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, on Friday in Abuja said the aim of the programme was to empower youths in universities to imbibe the culture of debate.

According to him, debate culture will encourage young people to be tolerant of each other’s views no matter how disagreeable or annoying they may be.

“Somebody may even say things that are offensive to you but the extent to which you are able to tolerate that view is a show of your maturity and your humanity, because we can never be the same, no matter what.

“I would like to also tell them that they are all winners, there is no loser here; I commend the participating universities and the lecturers that supported the students,” he said.

Sanusi urged the participants and Nigerian students to continue to defend human rights in Nigeria for a better society.

Also speaking, Barbara Magaji, Programme Manager at Amnesty International, said the debate was in line with the organisation’s mandate to promote the rights of people and ensure human rights protection globally.

Magaji said the intervarsity debate was designed to engage university students in exploring and engaging in critical discussions on contemporary human rights issues.

According to her, the aim is to foster a new generation of human rights defenders.

She said the debate was beyond a competition.

“It served as a platform for youth engagement, human rights education, public awareness, and advocacy within the country’s human rights landscape.

“Human rights is the concern of everyone as human beings. So, we feel we need to begin to engage with our youth from secondary school level and in the tertiary institutions.

“This is for them to begin to engage on topical issues that are of concern and then the demand for human rights.”

The winner of the debate, Akinlawon, commended Amnesty International for the initiative to organise such competition to revive the culture of debate in universities.

Akinlawon said, “I feel excited. This is my first debate outing to represent my school outside.

“It has not been an easy ride but I am really happy that it turned out the way it did.

“One thing that helped me in this debate was the particular style of debate known as British parliamentary style that I used and it worked for me.”

Akinlawon encouraged youths to be courageous in defending human rights regardless of location and not to be shy in participating and contributing their quota to nation building. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Folasade Adeniran