Back To Back Complete; KNUST Wins PAUDC 2019, Makes It Twice In a Row

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Michael Ampah and Erasmus Segbefia 
The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has made yet another piece of Pan African Universities Debate Championship History. The win against 13 other African countries was their second final triumph in a row in the competition – making them the first university in West Africa to do so on more than one occasion.


Since the inception of the tournament in 2008, only the University of Cape Town, South Africa had won two in a row; won in 2012 and 2013. The Pan African Universities Debate Championships is the biggest African inter-varsity debate tournament held every year. Ghanaian universities first participated in the PAUDC in 2012 with KNUST and the University of Ghana being the representatives from Ghana. The PAUDC takes the British Parliamentary (BP) style made up of 4 teams of 2, with 2 teams supporting a motion, and 2 teams opposing. Debating teams are independent and compete with each other.

This year’s edition saw only three institutions from Ghana, KNUST, University of Ghana and UCC participating with 12, 8 and 4 teams respectively. After nine rounds of preliminaries, 15  teams from Ghanaian universities broke to the knockout stage making it the second time Ghana attained such a laurel. Two of the 12 teams KNUST presented made it to the semi-finals with one of the 8 teams from the University of Ghana. The two teams from KNUST in the semis made it to the finals with the only university of Ghana team joining one other team from Strathmore University, Kenya.

Erasmus Segbefia & Michael Ampah (who represented KNUST in the final) spoke on the motion “Ghanaian Armed Forces have detected an intercontinental ballistic missile launch. The missile is for downward Accra. An attempted interception has failed. The warhead is expected to detonate in fifteen minutes. You are a civilian emergency response official for the state of Ghana. This house would not inform the public” from Closing government and won by a unanimous decision.

Both Erasmus Segbefia & Michael Ampah won the 6th Best Public Speaking. The awardees stood as:

 Best 5 Public speaking Judges
5. Vanessa Ozowu - University of Calabar
4. solomon Omane Mensah
3. Pessy Allen Ogechuku
2. Emmanuel Nwanwa Mensah
1. Jeremiah Sekyi from University of Ghana, 2019 winner of public speaking

BEST PUBLIC SPEAKERS
10. Frank Banaman
9. Fiifi Boabeng Baiden
8. Ntambi Michael
7. Kwaku Apraku
6. Ernestina Siaw from
5. Halimat Ujon Osman
4. Cecelia Opoku Mensah
3. Solera Opoku,
2. Giving Capellio
1. Dominic Domini, Covenant University

TOP 4 JUDGES
1. Kelly Kwame Kojo
2. Omoro pakos
3. Briant Kibet
4. Kelly Smith

–

Story by: Kaakyire Amponsah

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