The President, Heal The World Mission Incorporated, Ota, Ogun State, Mr. Tola Olukilede, has said that pupils who participate in debates and speech competition develop courage, sharpen their oratory skills and build leadership character.
He said this at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos on Friday during this year’s Prefects Summit/Speech Competition, in which 30 secondary schools across Lagos participated. The representatives of the schools gave a speech on the topic: If I were the president of Nigeria.
Olukilede said the topic was chosen to instil in the a pupils sense of leadership.
“Our greatest need today is good leadership. The little development we have seen as a nation came due to good leadership, and conversely, the negative ones like corruption, terrorism and social injustice, are as a result of bad leadership.
“Through the speech competition, we are trying to redirect the minds of our youths. We want them to imbibe the virtues of courage, and good leadership.”
Olukilede, who also inaugurated the World Changers Club founded by him, said the current rot in the country calls for a change, hence the need to prepare youths and the coming generation for the kind of leadership “we desire for the growth and development of this great country.” He said the club would be established in schools, as a forum for leadership training.
The pupils got applause from the audience on the basis of their oratory skills, indepth analysis of the topic and relevance of their argument. However, the top three pupils went home with different prizes, including laptops and plaques. Their schools also got prizes.
“Regional draws were conducted in each of the six educational districts in Lagos, while about 180 schools, private and public, participated. At the end of the day, five each qualified from each of the districts,” he added.
