By Beatitude
In the quarterfinal round of Jaw War Awo Hall was pitted against Zik Hall in a battle of wits and eloquence. On April 20, 2023, Zik Hall faced off against Awo Hall in the highly anticipated Quarterfinals to battle for a slot in the semifinals, they both argued on the topic “Should Africa ignore the West’s call for a transition to renewable energy”.
Awo Hall argued that Africa should embrace renewable energy because it is the way of the future. They pointed out that renewable energy is cheaper in the long run and can help to reduce poverty and inequality. They further claimed that the world is gradually moving away from fossil fuels and that African countries should not be left behind.
Zik Hall, on the other hand, took a different stance. They argued that Africa should not blindly follow the West’s call for a transition to renewable energy. They pointed out that renewable energy is not yet as efficient as fossil fuels and that it may not be a viable option for many African countries. They also argued that the West has a history of imposing its ideas on Africa and that African countries should be free to choose their path and thread at a comfortable pace.
Both halls presented compelling arguments to support their stand however, at the end of the debate, the judges awarded Zik Hall 68.75 points and Awo Hall 70.25 points. While Zik Hall lost the competition, many a zikite felt that the judging system was biased. They attributed the loss to partiality in the judging system. However, while interviewing Mr Tayo the Literary and debating president concerning the Judging process, he said “I’m not at liberty to really say whether there was partiality or not. Personally, I do have reservations about the whole thing. But then, I’ll pass”.
However, the fact that Zik Hall made it to the semi-finals as the best loser is a significant achievement. This is the first time in recent history that Zik Hall would make it to this stage of the Jaw War Literary and debating competition. This however does not mean Zik hall has reached the promised land. The stakes are obviously higher in the semifinals scheduled to hold on Friday, and Zik hall’s opponent, Bello hall, will not go easy on Zik hall, having failed to qualify from the first round in the last two editions.
