Central University wins 2020 C’wealth Day debate

The Central University has emerged winners of this year’s debate on the Commonwealth Day celebration in Accra.

The CUC beat its closest contender and the 2019 winner of the competition, University of Ghana (UG), Legon, by just one mark.

The CUC scored 346.5 points to stay ahead of the UG which had 345.5 at the end of the two-round debate.

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), which was the 2019 first runner-up, was the second runner-up with 336 points.

The fourth position went to the University of Cape Coast (UCC), which had 292, with the Presbyterian University College campus at Asante Agogo polling 284 to take the fifth position ahead of its sister Presbyterian University College campus at Kwahu-Abetifi, which had 265.

The six universities had engaged in the heated competition which was held on the topic: “Ghana Beyond Aid: An attainable feat or a political slogan.”

They were among 20 universities that took part in the elimination stages of the sixth edition of the competition which was aimed at inculcating spirited debate in the youth across countries in the Commonwealth.

The debate was jointly organised by the Public Affairs Department of Parliament and the Westminster Foundation of Ghana, a non-profit entity.

Awards

For coming first, the CUC, which was represented by Patrick Okrah Danso and Daniel Egel, took home a golden trophy and an undisclosed amount of money.

For its award, the University of Ghana, represented by Marcus Govey A. Ashiangmor and Sampson Tagbor, were given a silver trophy, while the KNUST, led by Michael Ampah Yeboah and Andrews Terku Terkpetey, won the bronze trophy.

The event attracted a number of dignitaries including the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu and the acting Director of Public Affairs of Parliament, Ms Kate Addo, and Deputy Director of Finance of Parliament, Mr William Kafui Assem, as well as students from the various participating universities.

UG, Legon & Central University College

Speaking for the motion, both the UG, Legon and the CUC team argued that the Ghana Beyond Aid policy was attainable as the goal was specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound.

KNUST

For its part, the KNUST team which argued against the motion, was of the view that while it was true that Ghana needed to develop beyond aid, statistics and facts on the ground showed that the country was becoming more dependent on concessional loans rather than depending on mobilisation of domestic revenues for its development needs.