UG to host 8th Pan African universities debate championship

All is set for the 8th Pan African Universities Debate Championship (PAUDC) dubbed, ‘Legon 2015’ which is to be held at the University of Ghana (UG), Legon, from December 8 to 17, 2015.

The debate championship is being organised by the University of Ghana under the auspices of the University of Ghana Sports Directorate (which also has the oversight responsibility of Debating issues at UG) together with the University of Ghana Debate Society.

It will see university students from Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Gambia, Ghana, Lesotho, Liberia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Togo and Zimbabwe battle for supremacy in the highly anticipated intellectual exercise, which uses the globally patronized “Worlds Style” of Debate.

It was the University of Ghana, through the Sports Directorate, under the directorship of Dr. Bella Bello Bitugu, which won the bid to host this year’s championship, making it the first PAUDC to be hosted in Ghana.

Themed “Debating Solutions for Africa: The Role of the Youth in Pan-Africanism, Democracy and the Rule of Law”; LEGON 2015 would be expecting close to 400 students from various universities across Africa including debaters, public speakers, adjudicators and observers.

The PAUDC is designed to cultivate in the youth of Africa democratic leadership and qualities, improved civic knowledge and attitudes, volunteerism and public spiritedness, public speaking skills and confidence, greater interest in current, national and international affairs, and the practice of critical and objective analysis of public issues.

The PAUDC has been hosted by countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and Nigeria, the 8th of which is being hosted by the University of Ghana.

It is worthy to note that the tournament will be introducing French speaking African countries for the first time in the history of the tournament with highlights of the tournament being Akwaaba Night, establishment of West African Debate Society, Public Speaking, Kwame Nkrumah Day and Ayekoo Night.

The Director of University of Ghana Sports Directorate Dr Bella Bello Bitugu summarised his excitement as follows; “I am very happy that the University of Ghana through the Sports Directorate is once again making their contribution towards the development of the youth and human resource clear and explicit”.

Speaking in an interview further, Dr. Bitugu added, “I hope the youth form the different parts of Africa will go back home with moving ideas generated during this championship that will in one way or the other help move the whole continent forward."

"I am proud UG and Ghana are again carving out a path for Ghana and the African continent”.

LEGON 2015 is in partnership with African Heights Foundation, Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), the Ministry of Education and other sponsors.