A lady identified as Ada Nwoke on Twitter has narrated how she lost a debate because she was told to defend the motion against the meaning amd existence of AIDS.
She gave the narration in reaction to a tweet which spoke of how awful the Nigerian school debate culture is.
She wrote:
“In SS2, I represented my school in a debate among Federal Unity Colleges organized by the Ministry of Education in Abuja. Topic – “HIV Does not Exist; AIDS means ‘American Invention to Discourage Sex.’” I was to argue ‘for’ this motion. And expected to win.
“Yes, I lost the debate. I slipped into a panic attack for the first time ever in my life shortly before it started. It was so ridiculous that some schools pulled out. And no, my topic wasn’t even the worst. I will never forgive Rukayat Rufa’i for organizing that rubbish.
“Before then, I thought “Women Shouldn’t Be Involved In Nigerian Politics” was the most ridiculous debate topic I’d ever be given. I was wrong. I’m sure many of us who were debaters in secondary school have seen much worse. It is THAT bad.
