ASIWAJU SPEECH CONTEST’24: NINE OUT OF SIXTEEN QUALIFIES FOR FINALS.

[Omiyale Abiodun John]

At the qualifying stage of the Asiwaju Inter-Faculty Speech Contest organized by Junior Chamber International Nigeria, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, nine out of sixteen participants have qualified to appear on stage for the grand finale. The debate contest was staged ealier today 26th April, 2024, at FIMSSA Building, Middle Belt, The Polythecnic, Ibadan.

At the commencement of the programme was a welcome address by the Local Organization President of JCIN, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Akande Moses Olamide where he welcomed all participants and judges to the programme. He commended the courage of the participants for showing up and opined that; whether they emerged today or not, they are a great success for representing their Faculties, out of multitude of students in their various Faculties.

The Chief Judge, JCIN Member Kehinde Ayanboade in his address also buttressed the President’s speech that; being here is a testament that they stood out, out of thousands of students from their Faculties. While explaining the modules operandi of the contest, he added that Faculty Judges and the external Judges would be working with him and participants will be judged based on their dressing, time management, eloquence, content delivery, amongst others.

Participants from different Faculties on campus spoke for and against the topic “The Future of AI; A looming threat to humanity or not?”, which they extensively argued and gave factual and tangible reasons to buttress their points.

As required by the organizers, each Faculty was represented by four participants, except Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) which was represented by a participant, who after a beautiful delivery, made it to the grand final with 73 points, and four participants each from the Faculty of Business and Communication Studies (FBCS), Faculty of Financial Management Studies (FFMS) and Faculty of Engineering (FENG), while the Faculty of Science (FSC) had three representatives of which two from each Faculty made it to the grand finale, after rigorous assessment and corrections were made by the various judges.

Also, present at the event, was the SUG President, Com. Oyekan Tobiloba, the Press Council Chairman, Com. Ajayi Toyyib Olabamiji, GIG President, Fajuyigbe Moboluwaji, Coporate Bankers President, CBCB Tobiloba Olatunji Dolapo, the Great Fellows President, Com. Oloyede Oluwaferanmi, the Joint Mind Empror, JM Ige Abiola, Judges from all Faculties and observers from across various Faculties.