writing debate by eguriase s. m. okaka

Writing Debate

By Eguriase S. M. Okaka In a debate your purpose is to persuade the reader or listener to agree with your own point of view on a particular subject. A debate is a form of an argumentative piece that is meant for oral delivery before an audience. In this write-up you will learn more about debate and argumentative essay. In a debate, two debating teams are involves and their purpose is to express their different opinions about one topic or statement. A debate therefore is a polite form of argument that is meant to be delivered before an audience. The team that agrees with the statement or proposition is called the proposing team while the team that disagrees is called the opposing team. In a real debate each team has first, second and third speakers. The first (chief speaker) and speaker present the arguments of their team. The third speaker takes note of the arguments of the first and second speakers of the other team. The third speaker rounds off the argument by pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of the other speakers’ arguments. The third speaker is not usually given as much time as the first and second speakers. There is usually a judge who may be your teacher especially if it is a school debate, a chairperson who presides over the debate, a timekeeper who ensures that you keep to the time allowed and other students or people who are present. The people who have come to watch the debate proceedings are referred as the audience. It is the judge who gives the verdict on the team that argued better than the other. Examples of Debates Topics: • You are the chief speaker in a debate on the topic ‘Parents should allow their children to choose their own careers’. Write your contribution for or against the motion. • You have been invited to take part in an inter-school debate, the topic of which is ‘A boy is more useful at home than a girl’. Write your argument for or against the motion. • You are one of the speakers in a debate on the topic ‘Women are agents of change’. Write your own contribution. • You are the chief speaker in a debate on the topic ‘Doctors are more important than teachers’. Write your own contribution for or against the motion. Features of a Debate • The debater starts by greeting the audience, e.g. Good morning/ Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, panel of judges, timer-keeper, co-debaters and my fellow students. • In a debate you must take a stand. This means you state in the introductory paragraph whether you are arguing for or against the motion or proposition. You state this immediately after the greetings. Example …. I am here to oppose {or propose) the motion that…. • A debate is meant for oral delivery. The features of a speech such as contracted forms and rhetorical questions are acceptable. Example: a) Contracted Forms I will – I’ll (contracted form) I will not – I won’t (contracted form) b) How then will they be happy? (rhetorical question) • Support your stand with facts that are verifiable. Leave out your own personal opinion. • Always prepare well. Do a research on the topic and be very knowledgeable about it so that you can have strong points. • Always anticipate the opposing side’s view, concede a little and then show that you have a better understanding of the issue by showing their weaknesses. • Conclusively: Round off with a statement that shows you must have succeed in convincing all to agree with your own point of view. Always end with thank you for listening. The Debate on the Petroleum Subsidy The perennial issue of how far the Federal Government should subsidies or not subsidies the price of refined petroleum products is again on the front burner. The Governors under the chairmanship of Governor Rotimi Amaechi, former Governor of Rivers state, are calling on the Federal Government to immediately abolish the subsidy, which was costing N500 billion yearly (then). According to the Governors, the reasons for this request is to enable them pay the N18, 000 national minimum wage already passed into law. The president has so far not made any pronouncement on the issue. In the meantime, an angry protest has been mounted by the two main labor unions- the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC)-warning of dire consequences, should the government go ahead with a unilateral removal of the subsidy. They have issued a two-week ultimatum as a prelude to a general strike. Civil society groups fearing deleterious effects of a crass removal of the subsidy on the people have decried any move in that direction. Without subsidy, the authorities claim that the current price for a liter of premium motor spirit (PMS) would double from N65 to N12o. Since the time of General Ibrahim Babangida, Nigeria government have constantly preached the reduction of fuel subsidy. It has become an endless sermon. The argument then was that with the removal of the subsidy, needed resources would be released to improved agriculture, health, education, transport and so on. Another reason advanced for the reduction was to ensure the constant availability of petroleum products at the filling stations, thereby eliminating perennial fuel queues. (From The Guardian editorial of Tuesday, 5 July 2011) Finally, the clamor for the removal of the fuel subsidy continues and many economist warned the government not to remove it because of it adverse effects it will have on the economic and the citizens, but the government paid a deaf hear to the cries of the people and on May 29th 2023, during the inauguration of President, Bola Alhmed Tinubu, he said, ‘Subsidy is gone and gone forever.’ That statement ended fuel subsidy in Nigeria. But Nigeria is not better for it. We start suffering economic troubles as were mentioned by the Civil Society groups and some economist of Nigeria birth and foreigners. There is the increase in petroleum products and increase in goods and services. Nigerians are passing through tough times as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy and smiles are now scare commodities in the faces of Nigerians. By Eguriase S. M. Okaka