The Amnesty International Nigeria, on Thursday, in Asaba, Delta, flagged off its maiden secondary schools debate as part of its activities aimed at catching them young and building human rights champions.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event, themed “Secondary Schools Debate: Becoming a Child Rights Champion,” was aimed at ensuring that the students know their rights and claim them.
Miss Rejoice Ilozor of Brain Theater Academy emerged overall winner of the debate with a cash prize award of One Million Naira.
While Miss Onyedikachukwu Anaziah of Mable Hill School and Master Ezeike Akachukwu of Africa Elites College emerged in second and third positions, winning N750,000 and N500,000 cash prizes respectively, with Other participating schools receiving consolation prizes.
Speaking, the Programme Manager, Amnesty International Nigeria, Barbara Magaji, said the debate was to engage the students on human rights issues.
She noted that the topics for the debates were carefully chosen to sensitise the students on their rights, adding that most children were not knowledgeable about their rights.
Magaji said that 10 secondary schools were invited to the programme, but six schools participated in the debate.
“As an organisation, we do human rights education and as part of our strategies, we organised debates. We have always done debates with students at the tertiary levels but this is the first time we are doing this among secondary schools,” she said.
According to Magaji, cascading the debate down to the secondary schools will help catch them young because it is from secondary schools that they migrate to the higher institutions.
“So, it is better to groom the children now to know their rights and from what we have seen today, the students have done well,” Magaji stated.
She said that now that the process has started in Delta, the debate would be taken through other states, plus the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to sensitise them on their rights.
“So, the first thing is that we are here to inform the children about their rights; in this debate, all the topics have one issue of human rights or the other;
“The rights of children to choice but also the parental guidance of choosing their career, schools, staying with relatives, among other topics, were debated to expose them to know their rights and to engage in healthy competitions among their peers.
“The children through this sensitisation will become knowledgeable about the Nigeria society and about amnesty,” Magaji said.
She noted that the prizes were designed to support the students’ education and for their well-being.
Magaji announced that the first prize of one million Naira, the second and third prizes of N750,000 and N500,000 respectively, were for the participants and not for their schools.
“The school might get a plaque or certificate for participation but the credence goes to the debating students. Even at the tertiary institutions, we give the prize money to the students,” she said.
On her part, the Team Administrator, Amnesty International Nigeria, Deborah Godwin, congratulated the students, thanked the judges and the teachers for the great efforts, while charging the students to cascade whatever they have learnt to their schools and friends.
“Spread the gospel of human rights, as you learn, study more, you should know that your rights and the rights of others are important. So, cascade whatever you have learnt to your friends, schools and at home to promote human rights.”
On her part, the Lead Judge at the Schools Debate, Associate Prof. Uche Oboko, lauded Amnesty International Nigeria for the programme.
“I want to thank Amnesty International for organising such an academic exercise. For me, it is also a learning curve. This debate goes to tell us that Amnesty is key to human rights.
“And from the topics discussed here, you can see that everybody is excited and from the responses, it is obvious that the students are brilliant, outstanding and excellent from the way they were able to argue their points,” she said.
Oboko added that it was important that the children know their rights and what they stood for, “so, once there is a violation of any of such rights, you cry out.”
In an interview, the proprietress of Brain Theater Academy, Mrs Ngozi Egbeasor, lauded Amnesty International for the debate and expressed excitement for her student emerging as the overall winner of the debate.
She pledged to cascade the message of the Amnesty International programmes to ensure that human rights were sustained in the school community.
The high point of the event was the presentation of cheques to the winners amidst jubilations by the students.
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