GREAT INDEPENDENCE HALL SPEAKS ON THIER DISQUALIFICATION AT JAW WAR INTERHALL ROUND.

 

By: Osuolale Oluwatomilayo (Duchess)

Today, the 6th of December, 2024, The Great Independence Hall released a statement following their disqualification against Queen Idia hall at the hall rounds of jaw war yesterday.

They viewed it to be unjust a winner was announced without the release of results “For the first time ever, the leadership of The Literary and Debating Society (TLDS) decided to declare the winner of a debate round without providing the result. This goes against the values of integrity, fairness, and fair play expected of any event within the University of Ibadan.”

They stated that prior to the event, they discovered that they, together with their opponents -Queen Idia hall representatives- were preparing for the same side of the debate following the case of pharmacy and veterinary medicine.

This according to them, was later rectified but they missed the rectifications “Owodayo Olabisi, President of the Faculty of Law Literary and Debating Society reached out and clarified that there was a mistake in the Speakers’ Pack document TLDS sent earlier that we had relied on to write our speech, but TLDS had later sent a message to the Senators’ group to clarify the mistake (which we missed. A fault we take responsibility for).”

As they were trying to resolve the issue until around 10am yesterday, Queen Idia hall participants insisted that they, Independence hall, prepare a new speech for the other side of the debate even after TLDS said the two parties speaking on the same side would not affect the judging and they did prepare a new speech until they were informed that an agreement to speak on the same side has been made.

 “...anyways, the resolve for today's debate round is that both halls will be speaking on the same side with the judges fully understanding the issue. As for the penalty for the side at fault, the judges will confer within themselves and decide how best to go about it.”

Seeing as their agreement and discussion with the TLDS president yielded a result like this, their disqualification, they find it unfair that this was not made clear in the beginning seeing as the fault was not entirely from their end and regarded the night as the darkest night in the history of UI’s public speaking.

They said “We will ensure that we hold the leadership of TLDS, particularly the President, Ogonna Okere accountable for his actions which do not reflect the tenets of exemplary leadership expected of anyone vested with his office.”