http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/board/main-square/45293-nigerian-teenager-wins-british-parliamentary-debate.html

Nigerian teenager wins British parliamentary debate
By Funmi Falobi, Reporter, Lagos

Seventeen-year-old Henry Akahara, a student of Government Senior Secondary School, Surulere, Lagos, who won a gold medal in the world class youth debate in the British House of Commons, has been awarded scholarship up to university level anywhere in the world by the Lagos State Government.

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (right), being presented with the gold medal of the British House of Commons debate won by Henry Akahara (left), a student of Government Senior Secondary School, Surulere, Lagos , on Monday

Governor Babatunde Fashola announced the gesture on Monday at a special reception where Henry was also given a laptop computer by the government.

Fashola said it is important to celebrate him, considering the honour he has brought to Lagos and the country.

He noted that if Henry had committed crime in the United Kingdom, he would have made headlines, but now that he has done the country proud, he deserves to be applauded.

Fashola beat his chest that Lagos public schools have won diverse awards from far and near, and pledged to use the 2008 budget to provide quality schools in rural areas, and improve the education sector.

“I think we should celebrate Henry extensively. The future of this country and Lagos lies in bringing up an educated workforce. We must invest in more of people like Henry who would take the leadership of this country and the state to greater heights,” he added.

Henry explained that “my experience during the debate has exposed me to danger intrinsic in modern day slavery, and I will use the award to combat the menace.”

Henry, the son of Police Inspector, Christopher Akahara, represented Nigeria through the British Council’s pet project “Dreams and Teams” to participate in the world youth debate, which drew 200 students from 60 countries.

thats beautiful,am impress
nigerians too have brains

I hope this is not a political statement

they should better give the money NOW to the parents

or pay in advance to the school chosen by the parents

if not by the time the boy will get to university Fashola would have been out of government and another Governor will have a different story

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

deor03:

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

For real, especially not CNN. Congrats to the guy, Nigeria is definitely the nation with the best talent around the world and with proof to back the claim, we're everywhere and excel in everything, including unprecedented bad governance unfortunately.

nice one for that dude.more rep to his school

ndubest:

I hope this is not a political statement

they should better give the money NOW to the parents

or pay in advance to the school chosen by the parents

if not by the time the boy will get to university Fashola would have been out of government and another Governor will have a different story

That's true

Wish you well, Henry Akahara

Well done Henry Akahara, making naija proud for once.

Good luck

warid:

thats beautiful,am impress
nigerians too have brains

So na now you know abi?

I always knew 9jas are a smart lot. The 9ja dr in my hospital is working wonders here. The guy is tooooooo good.

@ Henry

Keep the flag flying dear. If CNN and FOX do not want to air it,too bad we do not care.

At least we hear good things once a while in Naija

Before this news,did you guys know about the British Parliamentary Debate? Why would people expect such news story to be broadcast on CNN and the BBC? As if they were broadcasting past winners and suddenly became silent this year.

4 Play:

Before this news,did you guys know about the British Parliamentary Debate? Why would people expect such news story to be broadcast on CNN and the BBC? As if they were broadcasting past winners and suddenly became silent this year.

NO MIND THEM !!!! LMAO!! LMAO!!!

deor03:

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

did any Nigerian station broadcast the debate? did you read about the debate BEFORE ?

abi o

http://www.britishcouncil.org/home-world-of-difference-slavery-debate.pdf

OFFICIAL REPORT
British Council Slavery Youth Debate
GRAND COMMITTEE ROOM
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Friday 19 October 2007



http://www.britishcouncil.org/dreams-and-teams-newsletter-02.pdf

" In Uganda, 30 Young Leaders from 14 secondary schools did a wonderful job
in organising and co-ordinating the day. We partnered with Special Olympics
Uganda and they brought 20 special needs primary children to take part in the
games. The rest of the children – around 100 in total – were from 10 primary
schools. Boniface Kiprop, a long-distance athlete, interacted with the Young
Leaders, did interviews with the media and handed out gold medals to the
children. Juliet Turyatemba, Project Manager, British Council Uganda"


http://www.globalgateway.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=2620
http://www.youthsporttrust.org/linkAttachments/yst-dt-country-list.pdf
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/9/35/520208


http://www.thenationonlineng.com/dynamicpage.asp?id=46545

Thats good but the western press will not air it on any of them networks cos he is a nigerian. If he had commited fraud now you will see it everywhere.
(ja I hail thee

OFFICIAL REPORT
British Council Slavery Youth Debate
GRAND COMMITTEE ROOM
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Friday 19 October 2007

http://www.britishcouncil.org/home-world-of-difference-slavery-debate.pdf
Selected Quotes from Henry Akahara

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.

Such an intelligent youngman ….
This aptly reminds me of the saying of Mahtma Gandi “Be the change you wish to see in the world”

Below is the transcript of the debate again.

http://www.britishcouncil.org/home-world-of-difference-slavery-debate.pdf


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope you all realise the lies being fed the public by Fashola & co after reading the transcripts. Henry Akahara never won the debate and so could never have got a GOLD medal for winning the debate but then coming from a disciple of a "Chicago" Governor I am not entirely surprised.

[B]Summary of The British Council Youth Debate[/B]

50 Kids from 12 Countries participated.
----------------------------------------------
[I]Friday [/I] 19 October 2007

2 pm
---------

[B]Mr. Prescott:[/B] 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.

---------

[B]Henry Akahara[/B] (Nigeria): I beg to move that
[I]‘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]

---------

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

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[B]Ricardo Brooks [/B](Jamaica): I beg to move that
[I]‘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.’[/I]

---------

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

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

---------

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

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[B]Madam Deputy Speaker:[/B] 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.


[B]His Highness Nana Kodwo Condua V:[/B] I am going to
speak to you on behalf of His Majesty Nana Kodwo
Condua VI, the Paramount Chief of Elmina.
--------

[B]Madam Deputy Speaker:[/B] I thank His Highness for
closing the debate.
The sitting was closed at 4.45pm.

A Youtube Clip from the British Council Slavery Youth Debate


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZVq4MNd278