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Tambaya 1 Rahoto
Write an article suitable for publication in a national newspaper on the benefits that will be derived from the government showing interest in agriculture.
WHY GOVERNMENT MUST INVEST IN AGRICULTURE
For too long, our nation has leaned almost entirely on oil, treating agriculture as the poor relation of the economy. Yet the land beneath our feet holds the surest key to our prosperity. It is time to state plainly the great benefits that will flow from the government showing genuine interest in agriculture.
The first and most obvious benefit is food security. A country that cannot feed itself is never truly free. When the government supports farmers with fertilisers, improved seeds, loans and modern equipment, food production will rise, prices will fall, and hunger will be driven from our homes. A well-fed nation is a healthy and productive nation.
Secondly, agriculture is a powerful weapon against unemployment. Farming and its allied trades, processing, packaging, transport and marketing, can absorb millions of our idle youths. Instead of roaming the streets in frustration, young people can find dignified and rewarding work on the land, and the crime that springs from idleness will be greatly reduced.
Thirdly, a thriving agricultural sector will boost the economy and earn foreign exchange. Cash crops such as cocoa, cotton, rubber and oil palm, once the pride of our nation, can again be exported in large quantities. This will diversify our income, reduce our costly dependence on imported food, and strengthen our currency.
Furthermore, agriculture feeds our industries. Factories that produce textiles, beverages, vegetable oil and countless other goods depend on farm produce as raw materials. When agriculture flourishes, industry flourishes with it, and the whole chain of the economy is set in motion.
Finally, developing agriculture will breathe new life into our rural areas. The provision of roads, water, electricity and markets to farming communities will check the drift of young people to the overcrowded cities and spread development evenly across the land.
The lesson is clear. A nation that neglects its farms plants the seeds of its own poverty, while a nation that invests in agriculture reaps food, jobs, wealth and stability. Our government must therefore give agriculture the serious attention it deserves, and it must do so without delay.
Bayanin Amsa
WHY GOVERNMENT MUST INVEST IN AGRICULTURE
For too long, our nation has leaned almost entirely on oil, treating agriculture as the poor relation of the economy. Yet the land beneath our feet holds the surest key to our prosperity. It is time to state plainly the great benefits that will flow from the government showing genuine interest in agriculture.
The first and most obvious benefit is food security. A country that cannot feed itself is never truly free. When the government supports farmers with fertilisers, improved seeds, loans and modern equipment, food production will rise, prices will fall, and hunger will be driven from our homes. A well-fed nation is a healthy and productive nation.
Secondly, agriculture is a powerful weapon against unemployment. Farming and its allied trades, processing, packaging, transport and marketing, can absorb millions of our idle youths. Instead of roaming the streets in frustration, young people can find dignified and rewarding work on the land, and the crime that springs from idleness will be greatly reduced.
Thirdly, a thriving agricultural sector will boost the economy and earn foreign exchange. Cash crops such as cocoa, cotton, rubber and oil palm, once the pride of our nation, can again be exported in large quantities. This will diversify our income, reduce our costly dependence on imported food, and strengthen our currency.
Furthermore, agriculture feeds our industries. Factories that produce textiles, beverages, vegetable oil and countless other goods depend on farm produce as raw materials. When agriculture flourishes, industry flourishes with it, and the whole chain of the economy is set in motion.
Finally, developing agriculture will breathe new life into our rural areas. The provision of roads, water, electricity and markets to farming communities will check the drift of young people to the overcrowded cities and spread development evenly across the land.
The lesson is clear. A nation that neglects its farms plants the seeds of its own poverty, while a nation that invests in agriculture reaps food, jobs, wealth and stability. Our government must therefore give agriculture the serious attention it deserves, and it must do so without delay.
Tambaya 2 Rahoto
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
It is no longer news that the social and economic problems of African countries continue to worsen. What we experience daily are the vicious consequences of unemployment, inadequate health and educational facilities, urban squalor resulting from a population bursting at the seams and, most frightening of all, the rate at which crime is rising It is also no longer news that many Africans now see ''checking out" of their countries for other supposedly better ones abroad as the only solution to the problems. In this regard, the United State, Britain, Canada, Germany and Italy are the hot favourites. Most of these Africans are usually so desperate to leave that they fall easy prey to all sorts of passport and visa fraud, and often end up smuggling themselves abroad at all costs. In such countries, they have to do all manner of menial jobs, sometimes resorting to criminal activities, and are often cut off completely from families and relations back home. Young girls who have been enticed with assurances of a rosy future often end up in forced prostitution, with all its unpleasant consequences!
Is "checking out". the ideal solution to Africa's social and economic problems? Of course not! What is baffling is why Africans cannot see abandoning their countries as a step that holds out no solution at all. All that they achieve, in fact, is the substitution of one set of problems for another!
What then should we do? We must look inwards for a more realistic solution. First, we must develop the will to tackle our problems. Where there is a will, it is said, there is a way. If we abandon our problems instead of tackling them on, we will simply be leaving an unpleasant legacy for future generations. Secondly, we must orient ourselves tows res self-reliance and self-employment, instead of looking helplessly to our embattled government for salaried employment,
Finally, we must seek a long-term solution by addressing the population question. It is obvious that Africa's outsize population is at the root of the problems. The question we should ask ourselves is. if the average family size in America or Britain were to be as large as the average African family, would these countries still be as attractive to us as they are now? The big puzzle is that we have adopted the white man's lifestyle in all other respects, but have made an exception of family size.
(a) Mention two sequences of the usual desperation of Africans to leave their countries.
(b) The writer argues that escaping abroad is not the ideal solution to Africa's problems. Quote one sentence from the passage that sums up the writer's recommended solution.
(c)According to the writer, why should Africans solve their problems rather than avoid them?
(d) What does the writer consider the most serious cause of African's problems?
(e) What does the writer imply by using the word "supposedly" in the second paragraph?
(f) "What we experience daily . " (i) What grammatical name is given to this expression as it is used in the passage?
(ii) What is its function?
(g) " a population bursting at the seams " What figure of speech is contained in this expression?
(h) For each of the following words or phrases. find another word or phrase which means the same and which can replace it as it is used in the passage. (i) prey' (ii) enticed: (iii) ideal; (iv) holds out; (v) tackle: (vi) head-on.
(a) Two consequences of the usual desperation of Africans to leave their countries.
(b) One sentence that sums up the writer's recommended solution.
"We must look inwards for a more realistic solution."
(c) Why Africans should solve their problems rather than avoid them.
Because if they abandon their problems instead of tackling them, they will simply be leaving an unpleasant legacy for future generations (and escaping only substitutes one set of problems for another).
(d) The most serious cause of Africa's problems, according to the writer.
Africa's outsize (excessively large) population.
(e) What the writer implies by the word "supposedly".
He implies that the foreign countries are not truly or necessarily better; he doubts that they are actually better and suggests that they only appear so.
(f) "What we experience daily ..."
(g) Figure of speech in "... a population bursting at the seams ..."
Hyperbole (an exaggeration; it may also be regarded as a metaphor).
(h) Replacement words
Bayanin Amsa
(a) Two consequences of the usual desperation of Africans to leave their countries.
(b) One sentence that sums up the writer's recommended solution.
"We must look inwards for a more realistic solution."
(c) Why Africans should solve their problems rather than avoid them.
Because if they abandon their problems instead of tackling them, they will simply be leaving an unpleasant legacy for future generations (and escaping only substitutes one set of problems for another).
(d) The most serious cause of Africa's problems, according to the writer.
Africa's outsize (excessively large) population.
(e) What the writer implies by the word "supposedly".
He implies that the foreign countries are not truly or necessarily better; he doubts that they are actually better and suggests that they only appear so.
(f) "What we experience daily ..."
(g) Figure of speech in "... a population bursting at the seams ..."
Hyperbole (an exaggeration; it may also be regarded as a metaphor).
(h) Replacement words
Tambaya 3 Rahoto
Write a story on the topic: "An experience I'd love to have again."
Of all the experiences of my young life, none shines brighter in my memory than the day my school won the state debating championship, and I would give anything to live it again.
It happened in my final year. Our school had never before reached the grand finale, and expectations were low. I had been chosen as the chief speaker of our team, and for weeks we practised, argued and polished our points late into the night. The topic for the final was a difficult one, and our opponents, a proud school from the state capital, were the reigning champions.
The great day arrived. The hall was packed to the rafters, and my heart pounded like a drum as I climbed the podium. For a moment my mind went blank; then, taking a deep breath, I began. To my own amazement, the words flowed. I marshalled my arguments, answered every challenge, and felt the audience warming to my side. When I made my final point, the hall erupted in thunderous applause.
The wait for the result was agonising. At last the chief judge rose, cleared his throat, and announced our school as the winner. The hall exploded. My teammates lifted me shoulder high; our teachers wept for joy; and our principal, usually so stern, danced like a schoolboy. As I clutched the gleaming trophy, cameras flashed and my name was called again and again.
I would love to relive that experience for many reasons. It was the sweet reward of hard work and teamwork; it filled my parents with pride; and, above all, it taught me that with courage and preparation, even the underdog can conquer. That single afternoon changed how I see myself forever, and if the clock could be turned back, I would walk up to that podium and do it all over again.
Bayanin Amsa
Of all the experiences of my young life, none shines brighter in my memory than the day my school won the state debating championship, and I would give anything to live it again.
It happened in my final year. Our school had never before reached the grand finale, and expectations were low. I had been chosen as the chief speaker of our team, and for weeks we practised, argued and polished our points late into the night. The topic for the final was a difficult one, and our opponents, a proud school from the state capital, were the reigning champions.
The great day arrived. The hall was packed to the rafters, and my heart pounded like a drum as I climbed the podium. For a moment my mind went blank; then, taking a deep breath, I began. To my own amazement, the words flowed. I marshalled my arguments, answered every challenge, and felt the audience warming to my side. When I made my final point, the hall erupted in thunderous applause.
The wait for the result was agonising. At last the chief judge rose, cleared his throat, and announced our school as the winner. The hall exploded. My teammates lifted me shoulder high; our teachers wept for joy; and our principal, usually so stern, danced like a schoolboy. As I clutched the gleaming trophy, cameras flashed and my name was called again and again.
I would love to relive that experience for many reasons. It was the sweet reward of hard work and teamwork; it filled my parents with pride; and, above all, it taught me that with courage and preparation, even the underdog can conquer. That single afternoon changed how I see myself forever, and if the clock could be turned back, I would walk up to that podium and do it all over again.
Tambaya 4 Rahoto
Your father insists that you must study medicine at the University, but you have an entirely different course in mind. Write a letter to him explaining why you prefer this other course and why he should allow you make your own choice.
Federal Government College,
Enugu.
15 June, 2024.
Dear Papa,
I hope this letter meets you and the entire family in good health. I am doing well in school, and I remain deeply grateful for all your sacrifices on my behalf. I write, with the greatest respect, to open my heart to you on the important matter of the course I intend to study at the university.
Papa, I know how dearly you wish me to study Medicine, and I understand your reasons. You want me to have a noble and secure profession, and you want to be proud of a son who is a doctor. I honour that dream, and I thank you for it. Yet I beg you, as your loving child, to permit me to follow a different path, for I have set my heart on studying Law.
My reasons are honest ones. First, my true interests and abilities lie in reading, reasoning and public speaking, not in the sciences. My best results have always come in the arts subjects, while I struggle with Chemistry and Biology. To force myself into Medicine would be to build on a foundation that is not mine.
Secondly, I believe a person succeeds best in the work he loves. Law fascinates me; I dream of defending the weak, fighting injustice and serving our society through the courts. With such passion, I am confident that I will excel and make you far prouder than I ever could in a profession that does not stir my heart.
Finally, dear Papa, allowing me to choose my own course will teach me responsibility. The choice will be mine, and so will be the determination to succeed at it. I promise you that I will work hard, bring honour to our family name, and never give you cause to regret your kindness.
I remain your obedient son, and I await your loving reply. Please extend my greetings to Mama and my sisters.
Your loving son,
Emeka.
Bayanin Amsa
Federal Government College,
Enugu.
15 June, 2024.
Dear Papa,
I hope this letter meets you and the entire family in good health. I am doing well in school, and I remain deeply grateful for all your sacrifices on my behalf. I write, with the greatest respect, to open my heart to you on the important matter of the course I intend to study at the university.
Papa, I know how dearly you wish me to study Medicine, and I understand your reasons. You want me to have a noble and secure profession, and you want to be proud of a son who is a doctor. I honour that dream, and I thank you for it. Yet I beg you, as your loving child, to permit me to follow a different path, for I have set my heart on studying Law.
My reasons are honest ones. First, my true interests and abilities lie in reading, reasoning and public speaking, not in the sciences. My best results have always come in the arts subjects, while I struggle with Chemistry and Biology. To force myself into Medicine would be to build on a foundation that is not mine.
Secondly, I believe a person succeeds best in the work he loves. Law fascinates me; I dream of defending the weak, fighting injustice and serving our society through the courts. With such passion, I am confident that I will excel and make you far prouder than I ever could in a profession that does not stir my heart.
Finally, dear Papa, allowing me to choose my own course will teach me responsibility. The choice will be mine, and so will be the determination to succeed at it. I promise you that I will work hard, bring honour to our family name, and never give you cause to regret your kindness.
I remain your obedient son, and I await your loving reply. Please extend my greetings to Mama and my sisters.
Your loving son,
Emeka.
Tambaya 5 Rahoto
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
For some, grass is just the green stuff outside the house that they have to mow. For farmers and football players, it is indispensable. For children it is the ideal playground. And those who live in most urban areas assume they have very little to do with grass of any sort. However, almost all of us have daily contact with some type of grass and the product made from it.
Grass makes up a major part of the vegetation that covers the earth And no wonder, since it is one of the most adaptable plant groups on earth, growing in polar regions and deserts in tropical rain forests, and on wind-swept mountain slopes. Entire vegetation areas are dominated by grass.
Unlike many other plants, grass grows, not at the tip but in growth areas above the nodes. New shoots might start from stems growing horizontally on or under the ground. So when the lawn mower or the cow cuts away the tip, or fire rages through a field. grass keeps growing whereas many other plants stop Furthermore. with most grasses, if the - stem is bent over by the wind or trodden underfoot, it can raise itself erect by growing faster on the side facing the ground. For these reasons, grass usually recovers quickly after being damaged. which gives it an edge over other plants in the fight for sunlight.
Grass is not only the most abundant but also the most important flowering plant family on earth. A botanist once described grass as the foundation of our food it is "like a dam protecting mankind from famine." Try to remember what you ate today. Did you start with a bowl of cereal made with millet. rice, oats, or sorghum? Well, then, you ate grass seeds. Or perhaps you had a roll or other kind of bread. The flour used was made from grass kernels - wheat, rye, barley, and other grains are all grasses Cornflakes and other corn products are no exception. as corn or maize is a grass too. You had sugar in your tea or coffee? More than half of all sugar is made from sugarcane, a grass.
Grass is not only good for food, however. If your house has walls made of clay and straw, it is grass that gives them the necessary strength. In different parts of the world. roofs are thatched with grass. One of the advantages of such roofs is that they keep the interior of the buildings cool regardless of the external temperature.
Grass covers and adorns much of the earth. Apart from the beautiful, peaceful, and relaxing sight of a green meadow or a well-kept lawn, grass is a major oxygen supplier, because of the sheer mass of the green vegetation that it produces.
Finally, its fine roots perform the all-important function of protecting the soil from erosion. Keeping its versatility in mind we are not surprised to learn that the usage and cultivation of grass has a long history. The next time you see a waving cornfield, a lush green meadow, or just humble blades of grass growing between stones in a sidewalk, you might stop and think of this marvelous and most versatile plant family!
(a) In two sentences, one for each, summarize the two reasons why grass forms a major part of the earth's vegetation.
(b) In four sentences, one for each, summarize the four ways in which grass is useful to humans.
(a) Two reasons why grass forms a major part of the earth's vegetation.
(b) Four ways in which grass is useful to humans.
Bayanin Amsa
(a) Two reasons why grass forms a major part of the earth's vegetation.
(b) Four ways in which grass is useful to humans.
Tambaya 6 Rahoto
The poor state of the facilities in your school is causing the studens freat concern. As the Senior Prefect, write a letter to the chairman of the Board of Governors highlighting the problems and requesting him to come to the aid of the school.
Government Secondary School,
Kaduna.
15 June, 2024.
The Chairman,
Board of Governors,
Government Secondary School,
Kaduna.
Dear Sir,
THE POOR STATE OF FACILITIES IN OUR SCHOOL
On behalf of the entire student body, and in my capacity as the Senior Prefect, I write respectfully to bring to your notice the deplorable condition of the facilities in our school, which is causing us great concern, and to appeal to you to come to our aid.
Sir, the problems are many and serious. To begin with, several of our classrooms are in ruins; their roofs leak badly during the rains, the ceilings are falling in, and many windows and doors are broken. Lessons are frequently disrupted, and the safety of pupils is at risk. Secondly, there is a severe shortage of desks and chairs, so that pupils are crowded together and some are forced to sit on the bare floor.
In addition, our laboratories lack the most basic equipment and chemicals, making it almost impossible to carry out practical work in the science subjects. The library, too, is poorly stocked, its few books old and torn. To crown it all, we have no good source of drinking water, and the toilets are in a state that endangers the health of everyone.
These sorry conditions are lowering the morale of both students and teachers and are affecting our academic performance. It is our earnest belief that, with your timely intervention, they can be put right.
We therefore humbly request that the Board come to the rescue of the school by repairing the classrooms, supplying adequate desks and chairs, equipping the laboratories and library, and providing clean water and decent conveniences. We shall, on our part, treat these facilities with the greatest care.
Thank you, Sir, for your understanding and anticipated kindness. We look forward to a favourable response.
Yours faithfully,
Musa Bello,
Senior Prefect.
Bayanin Amsa
Government Secondary School,
Kaduna.
15 June, 2024.
The Chairman,
Board of Governors,
Government Secondary School,
Kaduna.
Dear Sir,
THE POOR STATE OF FACILITIES IN OUR SCHOOL
On behalf of the entire student body, and in my capacity as the Senior Prefect, I write respectfully to bring to your notice the deplorable condition of the facilities in our school, which is causing us great concern, and to appeal to you to come to our aid.
Sir, the problems are many and serious. To begin with, several of our classrooms are in ruins; their roofs leak badly during the rains, the ceilings are falling in, and many windows and doors are broken. Lessons are frequently disrupted, and the safety of pupils is at risk. Secondly, there is a severe shortage of desks and chairs, so that pupils are crowded together and some are forced to sit on the bare floor.
In addition, our laboratories lack the most basic equipment and chemicals, making it almost impossible to carry out practical work in the science subjects. The library, too, is poorly stocked, its few books old and torn. To crown it all, we have no good source of drinking water, and the toilets are in a state that endangers the health of everyone.
These sorry conditions are lowering the morale of both students and teachers and are affecting our academic performance. It is our earnest belief that, with your timely intervention, they can be put right.
We therefore humbly request that the Board come to the rescue of the school by repairing the classrooms, supplying adequate desks and chairs, equipping the laboratories and library, and providing clean water and decent conveniences. We shall, on our part, treat these facilities with the greatest care.
Thank you, Sir, for your understanding and anticipated kindness. We look forward to a favourable response.
Yours faithfully,
Musa Bello,
Senior Prefect.
Tambaya 7 Rahoto
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
When Eze was invited to spend his Easter holidays with Uncle Chike in Lagos, he jumped for joy! He had always pictured Lagos as a wonderland of bright lights, paved roads, elegant people riding by in their expensive cars, and beautiful residential quarters. This invitation was the wonderful opportunity for him to leave his small village for the first time and experience first-hand the good life of the city that he had imagined so much about!
The fateful day came and Eze, happy as a lark, bid an excited good-bye to his family. The first leg of his trip started modestly in the back of the rickety lorry that plied the dirt road linking his village to the rest of the world, but Eze was sure that he would later ride triumphantly into Lagos on one of those legendary luxury buses that he admired so much. This was also an experience to look forward to!
When he arrived in Lagos, it was almost dark. The first things that struck him as he alighted from the bus were the teeming crowd with their desperate unsmiling faces, the deafening noise of the ceaseless traffic, the polluted air with its acrid smell of exhaust fumes and decay, the endless rows of dirty and crumbling concrete buildings, and the filth everywhere. What a sharp contrast with the city he had built up in his imagination! But surely there must still be much to look forward to. Back in the village, Uncle Chike was regarded as a well-to-do trader. So Eze was further surprised and disappointed to find that he lived in a single room in a sleazy part of the city. At night, it got hot and stuffy, but they dared not open the windows as this would bring an invasion of mosquitoes.
Eze woke up the next morning feeling clammy, but he could still not have a bath. As his uncle took him to a shack across the street for a hurried breakfast of thin tea and mouldy bread, he explained that they usually bought water from a mobile tanker that had not come for some time. Eze was still recovering from his surprise at this information when they rushed off for his uncle s market stall, and he had his first unpleasant ride in one of the notorious molue buses of the city.
As they struggled down from the bus, shoving against the solid mass of desperate, bad-tempered commuters, Eze thought of his village, and the city suddenly lost whatever was left of its attraction for him. True, the village was small; life there was monotonous, and it lacked some essential amenities_ But it was peaceful; you drank clean water and ate what you wanted fresh; you moved about freely and breathed clean air; and everyone was friendly and helpful. Greatly disillusioned with the city, Eze longed to return to his beloved village!
(a) State two experiences that Eze looked forward to.
(b) Mention any two features of the city that Eze noticed at once
(c) What two discoveries surprised and disappointed Eze when he arrived in the city?
(d) Mention any two experiences in the city that Eze found unpleasant.
(e) What conclusion did Eze draw from his experiences in. the city?
(f) " as a lark ..." What figure of speech is contained in this expression?
(g) "When he arrived. in Lagos,..." (i) What grammatical name is given to this expression as it is used in the passage?
(ii) What is its function? .
(h) For each of the following words, find another word or phrase which means the same and which can replace it as it is used in the passage. (i) pictured; (ii) stuffy; (iii) invasion; (iv) hurried; (v) attraction; (vi) monotonous.
(a) Eze looked forward to:
(b) Two features he noticed immediately were:
(c) He discovered that:
(d) Two unpleasant experiences were:
(e) Eze concluded that life in his village was better than life in Lagos, despite the lack of some amenities in the village.
(f) The expression contains a simile.
(g)
(h)
Bayanin Amsa
(a) Eze looked forward to:
(b) Two features he noticed immediately were:
(c) He discovered that:
(d) Two unpleasant experiences were:
(e) Eze concluded that life in his village was better than life in Lagos, despite the lack of some amenities in the village.
(f) The expression contains a simile.
(g)
(h)
Tambaya 8 Rahoto
You are the chief speaker in a debate on the topic "Wealth is more important than health," Write your speech for or against the topic.
The Chairman, the accurate timekeeper, the panel of respected judges, my worthy opponents, ladies and gentlemen, good day. I rise to speak against the motion that wealth is more important than health. I stand firmly on the side of health, and I intend to prove that it is the greater treasure.
My first point is that health is the very foundation of wealth. It is only a healthy person who can work, think, trade and prosper. Take away a man's health and all his riches become useless to him, for a sick millionaire on a hospital bed would gladly give away every coin he owns to be well again. This alone shows which is the more precious.
Secondly, wealth can be lost and regained, but health, once destroyed, is often gone forever. A man who loses his money today may, through effort, become rich again tomorrow. But a man who ruins his health may never recover it, no matter how much he spends. That which cannot be replaced is surely more valuable than that which can.
Thirdly, health brings a peace and enjoyment that money cannot buy. Of what use is a table loaded with the finest food to one whose illness has robbed him of appetite? Of what use is a soft bed to one whose pain denies him sleep? The healthy pauper sleeps sweetly, while the sickly rich man tosses in misery. Truly, as the elders say, health is wealth.
My opponents may argue that wealth can purchase the best medical care. I grant that money is useful, but it cannot buy health itself. Many wealthy men have died of diseases that all their riches could not cure, proving that money is only a servant, while health is the master.
Ladies and gentlemen, since health is the foundation of wealth, since it cannot easily be replaced, and since it gives the enjoyment that riches alone cannot, I urge this house to reject the motion and to agree with me that health, and not wealth, is the more important. Thank you.
Bayanin Amsa
The Chairman, the accurate timekeeper, the panel of respected judges, my worthy opponents, ladies and gentlemen, good day. I rise to speak against the motion that wealth is more important than health. I stand firmly on the side of health, and I intend to prove that it is the greater treasure.
My first point is that health is the very foundation of wealth. It is only a healthy person who can work, think, trade and prosper. Take away a man's health and all his riches become useless to him, for a sick millionaire on a hospital bed would gladly give away every coin he owns to be well again. This alone shows which is the more precious.
Secondly, wealth can be lost and regained, but health, once destroyed, is often gone forever. A man who loses his money today may, through effort, become rich again tomorrow. But a man who ruins his health may never recover it, no matter how much he spends. That which cannot be replaced is surely more valuable than that which can.
Thirdly, health brings a peace and enjoyment that money cannot buy. Of what use is a table loaded with the finest food to one whose illness has robbed him of appetite? Of what use is a soft bed to one whose pain denies him sleep? The healthy pauper sleeps sweetly, while the sickly rich man tosses in misery. Truly, as the elders say, health is wealth.
My opponents may argue that wealth can purchase the best medical care. I grant that money is useful, but it cannot buy health itself. Many wealthy men have died of diseases that all their riches could not cure, proving that money is only a servant, while health is the master.
Ladies and gentlemen, since health is the foundation of wealth, since it cannot easily be replaced, and since it gives the enjoyment that riches alone cannot, I urge this house to reject the motion and to agree with me that health, and not wealth, is the more important. Thank you.
Za ka so ka ci gaba da wannan aikin?