Nigerian Teenager Wins British Parliamentary Debate

I am sure BBC or CNN, UK SUN will not have space to say this in theri news bulletin. Alway waiting for a bad news to report about NIJA

Henry Akahara (Nigeria): I beg to move that
‘All people should be educated about historical and modern
slavery and its impact today. They must recognise the
contribution of Africa and its people to the wealth and
development of other countries around the world and the
importance of creating a positive future in view of this legacy.’
I am for the motion which says that all people should
be educated about historical and modern slavery, its
impact, and our role to change its legacy, because I
know that education is essential for everyone.
Education is a right; it goes around and around.
Everyone should be educated: the young and the old
should know about modern day slavery. Wherever you
are, you should know about modern day slavery. In the
UK, they know less about the subject, but because of
this event they will know more. Modern day slavery
should be known about by the big, the small, the
superior and the inferior.


Henry Akahara (Nigeria): The hon. Gentleman says
that education should mean formal education. I both
disagree and agree, in the sense that: yes, it should be
formal, as it should be added to the curriculum. We
have to know about modern-day slavery. All the same,
if we say that it should be only formal education, it
means that there are parents at home who will not get
to know about it, because some parents do not listen to
what their children say. Children might know from
what they have been taught at school that slavery is
going on and when they return home and tell their
mum, “Hey, you are carrying out modern-day slavery
on me,” she will reply, “Shut up! You don’t know
anything.” So I think that we should just carry on a
system to educate people generally—not to use only
formal education. You can educate them generally—
young and old—just through media houses, hand bills,
posters and television. My grandmother can get
educated while seated on her couch watching TV. I do
not think that education should be formal, or only in
schools.

Henry Akahara (Nigeria): Madam Deputy Speaker,
my thinking is that formal education is school alone. I
do not see why my grandmother should be told to
come to school and sit down. Maybe she does not
know anything, like how to read and write, like people
in the villages. If such people are given pictures and
written documentation and told to go through it, how
should they do that? They will just see the pictures and
admire them, and think, “Oh, this guy is smiling; yeah,
I’m okay with that.” They will not know the message
being passed to them. If we can educate them
normally, with, as I said, hand bills and through TV
and radio stations that speak their language, that will
be splendid.


Henry Akahara (Nigeria): As the hon. Gentleman
says, some people are a little confused, but I am not
confused. The fact is that informal education is the
best. To me, it is outstandingly good, because
everybody will benefit from it. If you say that formal
education is good for you, everybody has his way out,
but formal education is not going to help anybody
except those who live in a confined area. Informal
education is the best.

50 Kids from 12 Countries participated.
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Friday 19 October 2007

2 pm
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Mr. Prescott: Does that mean that you want the
motion? As you have agreed, you will have three
motions. We are going to debate them and you will
have a vote on them as they come. During Question
Time we do not have motions but ask questions.
Following that, we shall get into the debate; that is why
the Speaker will be leaving this session. There will be
three motions that you have chosen and you will be
able to vote on them. I hope that that is okay.

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Henry Akahara (Nigeria): I beg to move that
‘All people should be educated about historical and modern
slavery and its impact today. They must recognise the
contribution of Africa and its people to the wealth and
development of other countries around the world and the
importance of creating a positive future in view of this legacy.’


---------

Madam Deputy Speaker: I shall now put the motion
to the vote.
Question put: Ayes 16, Noes 25.
Question accordingly negatived

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Ricardo Brooks (Jamaica): I beg to move that
‘The huge cost of slavery be recognised and the concept of
debt to developed nations be reversed so that reparation be made
to Africa and the Diaspora to create and sustain economic
development using its own skills and resources.’

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Question put: Ayes 23, Noes 19.
Question accordingly agreed to.

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Pandit Mami (Sierra Leone): I beg to move that
‘The idea of racism should be made illegal worldwide and
there should be no concept of superior or inferior people.’

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Question put: Ayes 7, Noes 30.
Question accordingly negatived.

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Madam Deputy Speaker: It is now my privilege to
ask you, Your Highness, to make the concluding
remarks of this very important and historic session of
this particular Parliament.


His Highness Nana Kodwo Condua V: I am going to
speak to you on behalf of His Majesty Nana Kodwo
Condua VI, the Paramount Chief of Elmina.
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Madam Deputy Speaker: I thank His Highness for
closing the debate.
The sitting was closed at 4.45pm.