Ten secondary schools in Ibadan south west local government last week participated in the first edition of Ademola T. Ajibola, ATA, Inter-secondary school debate completion.
With the theme ‘In today’s world, technology is more needed than agriculture. Argue for or against,’ Ajibola, who is eyeing the Ibadan North West/ Southwest federal constituency seat under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2023 election, said there could not have another time for such topic.
Speaking at the event which took place at ATA’s alma mater of Ibadan Boys High School, Oke Ado, the graduate of the Osun State University, UNIOSUN, said he decided to come up with the initiative because technology has altered the way everything is done and hence, the need to target secondary school students to prepare them for the future.
“The way things are going nowadays, there is need for us to go back to the basis if we desire a prosperous future. Now, people finish school without any job in sight. The avenue which should have helped create the conducive environment for job creators is not there.
“I just feel that if we get it right from this their teen age, the solution to our problems is in sight. We have to guide them properly to choose rightly from secondary schools. Technology has disrupted everything. It is the enabler. So, technology and agriculture now go together. We just used that to shape their thinking from now. It is going to be a continuous one,” he added.
On his bid to represent his people, ATA explains that he feels he can do better than the current occupant.
At the end of the competition, St. Theresa College, Oke Ado, Ibadan Boys High School, Oke Bola, Oke-Ado High School came first, second and third respectively.
The lead speaker from St. Theresa College was given a brand new laptop computer to aid her educational growth while the assistant speaker was given N30,000.
The lead speaker from Ibadan Boys High School, Oke-Bola, the first runner-up, was rewarded with a laptop too whilst the assistant speaker got a sum of N20,000.
The lead speaker from Oke Ado High School, second runner-up, was given N30,000 cash support.
Five students were given funds to purchase JAMB forms while 6 others were given N3,000 each for their brilliant performances at social studies.
ATA also donated 4 ceiling fans, with a promise of repainting of one of the staff rooms of the school.
