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Ajụjụ 1 Ripọtì
You changed school recently and have been at the new school for six weeks. Write a letter to your uncle explaining why you left your former school and describe at least three things You find more interesting in the new school.
Model answer: informal letter
24 Oak Avenue,
Ikeja,
Lagos State.
15 June, 2025.
Dear Uncle Tunde,
I hope this letter meets you and the entire family in good health. I have been meaning to write to you since I moved to my new school six weeks ago, and I am glad to do so at last.
You will remember that I was at Greenfield Secondary School. I left that school for two main reasons. First, the classrooms were badly overcrowded, with more than sixty pupils to a class, so it was almost impossible for the teachers to attend to each of us. Secondly, the school lacked a proper science laboratory, and since I hope to study medicine, I felt that my dream was being held back. After discussing the matter with my parents, we agreed that a change was necessary, and so I transferred to Unity College.
I am happy to tell you that I find several things far more interesting here. In the first place, the classes are small and orderly, so the teachers know each of us by name and give us close attention. Secondly, the school has a well-equipped science laboratory where we carry out real experiments instead of merely reading about them. Thirdly, there is a wide range of clubs and sports, and I have already joined the debating society, which has greatly improved my confidence.
In short, the change has been a blessing. I am learning better, making new friends, and enjoying school as never before. Please extend my warm greetings to Aunty and the children. I look forward to seeing you all during the holidays.
Your loving nephew,
Femi.
Key features expected: correct informal-letter format (one address, date, personal salutation and close); clear reasons for leaving; at least three interesting features of the new school; friendly, natural tone; good paragraphing and expression.
Akọwa Nkọwa
Model answer: informal letter
24 Oak Avenue,
Ikeja,
Lagos State.
15 June, 2025.
Dear Uncle Tunde,
I hope this letter meets you and the entire family in good health. I have been meaning to write to you since I moved to my new school six weeks ago, and I am glad to do so at last.
You will remember that I was at Greenfield Secondary School. I left that school for two main reasons. First, the classrooms were badly overcrowded, with more than sixty pupils to a class, so it was almost impossible for the teachers to attend to each of us. Secondly, the school lacked a proper science laboratory, and since I hope to study medicine, I felt that my dream was being held back. After discussing the matter with my parents, we agreed that a change was necessary, and so I transferred to Unity College.
I am happy to tell you that I find several things far more interesting here. In the first place, the classes are small and orderly, so the teachers know each of us by name and give us close attention. Secondly, the school has a well-equipped science laboratory where we carry out real experiments instead of merely reading about them. Thirdly, there is a wide range of clubs and sports, and I have already joined the debating society, which has greatly improved my confidence.
In short, the change has been a blessing. I am learning better, making new friends, and enjoying school as never before. Please extend my warm greetings to Aunty and the children. I look forward to seeing you all during the holidays.
Your loving nephew,
Femi.
Key features expected: correct informal-letter format (one address, date, personal salutation and close); clear reasons for leaving; at least three interesting features of the new school; friendly, natural tone; good paragraphing and expression.
Ajụjụ 2 Ripọtì
There have been widespread complaints by students against the teaching staff: absenteeism, lateness to classes, failure to prepare lessons, and so on. As the senior prefect, write a letter to the principal, informing him of the situation and requesting him to take necessary action in order to avert a riot that is being secretly planned by students.
Model Formal Letter to the Principal
Senior Prefect's Office,
Government Secondary School,
P.M.B. 3030,
Kaduna.
10th July, 2026.
The Principal,
Government Secondary School,
Kaduna.
Dear Sir,
COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE TEACHING STAFF AND A THREAT OF UNREST
I write, as the Senior Prefect and on behalf of the entire student body, to bring to your notice a situation that is causing deep discontent among the students, and to request your prompt intervention before it degenerates into open unrest.
Sir, for some time now the students have complained bitterly about the conduct of a number of the teaching staff. Several teachers habitually absent themselves from school, leaving their subjects untaught for days on end. Others come very late to their classes, so that much of the period is wasted before any teaching begins. Worse still, some teachers enter the classroom without any lesson preparation, merely dictating from old notes or leaving the class idle. As a result, large portions of our syllabus remain uncovered, and we, the students, are gravely handicapped, especially those of us preparing for the school-leaving examinations.
The effect of all this on the morale of the students has been serious. Frustration has been mounting, and I have learnt, with great concern, that a group of students is secretly planning a protest that could easily turn into a riot. As Senior Prefect, I have appealed to them to remain calm and to allow the proper authorities to address the matter, and it is in fulfilment of that duty that I now write to you.
I therefore humbly and respectfully request, Sir, that you look into these complaints without delay. A firm reminder to the staff concerned about punctuality, regular attendance and proper lesson preparation, together with an assurance to the students that their grievances are being addressed, would go a long way to restore calm and prevent the planned disturbance.
The students have full confidence in your leadership and fairness, and we are certain that your timely action will bring lasting peace to the school.
Thank you for your understanding and anticipated prompt response.
Yours faithfully,
Musa Abubakar
(Senior Prefect)
Akọwa Nkọwa
Model Formal Letter to the Principal
Senior Prefect's Office,
Government Secondary School,
P.M.B. 3030,
Kaduna.
10th July, 2026.
The Principal,
Government Secondary School,
Kaduna.
Dear Sir,
COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE TEACHING STAFF AND A THREAT OF UNREST
I write, as the Senior Prefect and on behalf of the entire student body, to bring to your notice a situation that is causing deep discontent among the students, and to request your prompt intervention before it degenerates into open unrest.
Sir, for some time now the students have complained bitterly about the conduct of a number of the teaching staff. Several teachers habitually absent themselves from school, leaving their subjects untaught for days on end. Others come very late to their classes, so that much of the period is wasted before any teaching begins. Worse still, some teachers enter the classroom without any lesson preparation, merely dictating from old notes or leaving the class idle. As a result, large portions of our syllabus remain uncovered, and we, the students, are gravely handicapped, especially those of us preparing for the school-leaving examinations.
The effect of all this on the morale of the students has been serious. Frustration has been mounting, and I have learnt, with great concern, that a group of students is secretly planning a protest that could easily turn into a riot. As Senior Prefect, I have appealed to them to remain calm and to allow the proper authorities to address the matter, and it is in fulfilment of that duty that I now write to you.
I therefore humbly and respectfully request, Sir, that you look into these complaints without delay. A firm reminder to the staff concerned about punctuality, regular attendance and proper lesson preparation, together with an assurance to the students that their grievances are being addressed, would go a long way to restore calm and prevent the planned disturbance.
The students have full confidence in your leadership and fairness, and we are certain that your timely action will bring lasting peace to the school.
Thank you for your understanding and anticipated prompt response.
Yours faithfully,
Musa Abubakar
(Senior Prefect)
Ajụjụ 3 Ripọtì
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
Do the present policies on those who commit crimes reflect a class war? For long, people have alleged that certain laws discriminate against some members of the society while such laws favour others. Besides, some sociologists also claim. that .some members of the society are more prone to some specific crimes than others. So, our opening question is pertinent.
When we realize that armed robbery and similar offences require the use of brute force, it immediately becomes clear that these are offences almost exclusive to the masculine world. The offences are thus sex bound. Besides, the need to be physically strong and agile tends to exclude the upper middle-age and the elderly; so, age is also a factor, Moreover, members of the working class, who at least have some financial returns to rely on, hardly ever have the urge to resort to violence.. This tends to limit violent crimes to the unemployed, poor and desperate males in their late teens, twenties, or early thirties. Indeed, if elderly citizens are involved, they function as the barons, the financiers, who sit back at home while they let loose the dogs of vandalism and death. They provide the money and tools for the front line criminals.
Similarly, drug pushing tends to be more prevalent among the weaker sex, especially ladies in their twenties. They are biologically more attractive, and hence more likely to wade through the airport and border post while hiding deadly gramms of hard drugs within one or other of their bodily crevices. Again if older citizens are involved it is more as the barons, shielding the carriers from prosecution if they are caught. So, this is another crime that is largely sex-bound.
Punishments for offences limited to the citizens on the lower rungs of the socio-economic ladder appear to be harsher. So, robbery with violence attracts death, and pushing hard drugs attracts long jail terms. Meanwhile, pen robbery and large-scale fraud, offences which are invariably specific to the high class officials, do not attract severe penalties. Indeed, most culprits at this level manage to wriggle out of the net of the law.
There thus appears to be sufficient reasons to answer our original question in the affirmative.
(a) Mention any two yardsticks used by the writer to categorize those who commit violent crimes.
(b) What two roles do the barons of the identified crimes play?
(c) Among what group of people are violent crimes most common?
(d) (i) Does the writer consider the punishment for the various crimes mentioned in the passage as fair?
(ii) Support your answer with a brief description of the writer's argument.
(e) ...they let loose the dogs of vandalism and death. (I) What figure of speech is the above expression?
(ii) What does the expression mean?
(f) For each of the following words, find another word or phrase which means the same and can replace it as used in the passage: (i) pertinent: (ii) agile; (iii) desperate; (iv) prevalent; (v) severe.
(a) Two yardsticks used to categorize those who commit violent crimes:
(b) Two roles the barons play:
(c) Violent crimes are most common among the unemployed, poor and desperate males in their late teens, twenties or early thirties.
(d)(i) No, the writer does not consider the punishments fair.
(ii) He argues that offences committed by the poor and lowly (armed robbery attracts death, drug pushing attracts long jail terms) are punished harshly, while offences of the high-class officials (pen robbery and large-scale fraud) attract no severe penalties and such culprits usually escape the law. This unequal treatment reveals a class bias, so the punishment is not fair.
(e)(i) Metaphor.
(ii) It means the barons unleash or set free ruthless, violent criminals to cause destruction and killing in society.
(f) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Akọwa Nkọwa
(a) Two yardsticks used to categorize those who commit violent crimes:
(b) Two roles the barons play:
(c) Violent crimes are most common among the unemployed, poor and desperate males in their late teens, twenties or early thirties.
(d)(i) No, the writer does not consider the punishments fair.
(ii) He argues that offences committed by the poor and lowly (armed robbery attracts death, drug pushing attracts long jail terms) are punished harshly, while offences of the high-class officials (pen robbery and large-scale fraud) attract no severe penalties and such culprits usually escape the law. This unequal treatment reveals a class bias, so the punishment is not fair.
(e)(i) Metaphor.
(ii) It means the barons unleash or set free ruthless, violent criminals to cause destruction and killing in society.
(f) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Ajụjụ 4 Ripọtì
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
Marriage as a human institution is facing its greatest threat ever in the twentieth century. Never, since the first man and woman were joined together, has the institution been beset by as many problems as it is now. And this trend, which started in the Western World, has spread and is spreading to all parts of the globe.
The most disturbing problem is the high rate of divorce. It is no longer a social stigma for women to fill in forms indicating that they are divorced; men. too, proclaim their liberty from the shackles of matrimony somehow with pride. Little wonder that young couples resort to separation and eventually divorce. at the slightest disagreement.
The availability of an alternative aggravates the seriousness of the problem. Instead of entering into matrimony, very many couples simply decide to live together. Even the courts now recognize such common law marriages, and respect the rights of partners in such associations. The great advantage this accords the partners is the fluidity of the association, the ease with which one or both can call off the union.
Besides, very many countries now enact laws that recognize the rights of children born out of wedlock. This singular factor has helped to shoot up the number of such children in many civilized communities. A recent survey in an urban college shows that about forty percent of the students were born out of wedlock.
Not less among the factors hastening the death of the marriage institution is the progressively rising cost of living. Nowadays, it is essential for both partners to be gainfully employed to be sure of a reasonable decent level of existence. The marriage ceremony itself costs so much that the young men simply remain single, raising one or two children from ladies who themselves are often willing collaborators against the institution of marriage.
(a) What does the author mean by referring to marriage as an institution?
(b) What do the words liberty and shackles mean, as used in the passage?
(c) (i) What, according to the passage, is a common-law marriage?
(ii) Mention one advantage of this system
(d) Mention any two factors that are seriously threatening the marriage institution.
(e) ... who themselves are willing collaborators against the institution of marriage.
(i) What grammatical term is used to describe the above expression as used in the passage?
(ii) What is its function?
(f) For each of the following, find another word or phrase that means the same and which can replace it as used in the passage:
(i) globe; (ii) stigma; (iii) an alternative; (iv) enact; (v) survey.
(a) By calling marriage an "institution", the author means that it is a long-established, widely-recognized social custom or system that forms part of the structure of society and is governed by accepted rules and traditions.
(b) Liberty means freedom (from the obligations of marriage); shackles means chains, bonds or restraints (the restrictions of matrimony).
(c)(i) A common-law marriage is one in which a couple simply decide to live together without a formal or legal marriage ceremony, yet the courts recognize their union and the rights of the partners.
(ii) One advantage is its fluidity, that is, the ease with which one or both partners can call off the union.
(d) Two factors threatening the marriage institution (any two):
(e)(i) It is an adjectival (relative) clause.
(ii) Its function is to qualify or modify the noun "ladies", giving more information about them.
(f) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Akọwa Nkọwa
(a) By calling marriage an "institution", the author means that it is a long-established, widely-recognized social custom or system that forms part of the structure of society and is governed by accepted rules and traditions.
(b) Liberty means freedom (from the obligations of marriage); shackles means chains, bonds or restraints (the restrictions of matrimony).
(c)(i) A common-law marriage is one in which a couple simply decide to live together without a formal or legal marriage ceremony, yet the courts recognize their union and the rights of the partners.
(ii) One advantage is its fluidity, that is, the ease with which one or both partners can call off the union.
(d) Two factors threatening the marriage institution (any two):
(e)(i) It is an adjectival (relative) clause.
(ii) Its function is to qualify or modify the noun "ladies", giving more information about them.
(f) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Ajụjụ 5 Ripọtì
Narrate a story to illustrate the warning: Look before you leap.
Model Narrative: "Look Before You Leap"
Uche was my closest friend, a cheerful young man with one great weakness: he acted first and thought afterwards. Time and again our teachers warned him to be careful, but he only laughed and said that caution was for cowards. It was this habit that led him into the trouble I shall never forget.
One afternoon, as we walked home from school, a well-dressed stranger stopped us near the market. He introduced himself as a businessman and told us of a wonderful opportunity. If we could each bring him ten thousand naira, he said, he would double it within a week through a special trade. His words were smooth, his smile broad, and his shoes gleamed in the sun.
I felt uneasy and urged Uche to make enquiries first. But Uche's eyes were already shining with visions of quick wealth. "Opportunity comes but once," he declared, brushing aside my caution. That same evening, without asking a single question, he took the money his mother had saved for his school fees and handed it over to the stranger. The man wrote him a receipt, gave him an address, and promised to meet him in a week.
The week passed slowly, and Uche counted the days with excitement. But when the appointed morning came and we went to the address, we found only an empty, abandoned building. Neighbours told us that no such businessman had ever lived there. The truth fell on Uche like a thunderbolt: he had been swindled. The money, his mother's hard-earned savings, was gone.
The consequences were bitter. Uche's mother wept, and he could not pay his fees that term. For weeks he moved about like a shadow of himself, ashamed and full of regret. Had he only paused to make enquiries, to weigh the stranger's tempting words, he would have escaped the trap.
Uche never forgot that lesson, and neither did I. From that day he became thoughtful and careful, weighing his decisions before acting. His costly experience taught us both a truth that has guided me ever since: always look before you leap.
Akọwa Nkọwa
Model Narrative: "Look Before You Leap"
Uche was my closest friend, a cheerful young man with one great weakness: he acted first and thought afterwards. Time and again our teachers warned him to be careful, but he only laughed and said that caution was for cowards. It was this habit that led him into the trouble I shall never forget.
One afternoon, as we walked home from school, a well-dressed stranger stopped us near the market. He introduced himself as a businessman and told us of a wonderful opportunity. If we could each bring him ten thousand naira, he said, he would double it within a week through a special trade. His words were smooth, his smile broad, and his shoes gleamed in the sun.
I felt uneasy and urged Uche to make enquiries first. But Uche's eyes were already shining with visions of quick wealth. "Opportunity comes but once," he declared, brushing aside my caution. That same evening, without asking a single question, he took the money his mother had saved for his school fees and handed it over to the stranger. The man wrote him a receipt, gave him an address, and promised to meet him in a week.
The week passed slowly, and Uche counted the days with excitement. But when the appointed morning came and we went to the address, we found only an empty, abandoned building. Neighbours told us that no such businessman had ever lived there. The truth fell on Uche like a thunderbolt: he had been swindled. The money, his mother's hard-earned savings, was gone.
The consequences were bitter. Uche's mother wept, and he could not pay his fees that term. For weeks he moved about like a shadow of himself, ashamed and full of regret. Had he only paused to make enquiries, to weigh the stranger's tempting words, he would have escaped the trap.
Uche never forgot that lesson, and neither did I. From that day he became thoughtful and careful, weighing his decisions before acting. His costly experience taught us both a truth that has guided me ever since: always look before you leap.
Ajụjụ 6 Ripọtì
You were an eye-witness to a fire outbreak which completely destroyed the main market in your town. Write an article suitable for publication in a national newspaper describing the incident and suggesting measures that could be adopted to prevent a recurrence.
Model answer: newspaper article
INFERNO REDUCES CENTRAL MARKET TO ASHES
By Chidi Okeke
Disaster struck our town last Tuesday when a raging fire completely destroyed the Central Market, the commercial heartbeat of the community. As an eye-witness, I watched in horror as decades of trade and toil went up in smoke within a few hours.
The fire started at about two o'clock in the afternoon, apparently from a stall where petrol was being sold in the open. Within minutes, the flames leapt from one wooden shed to another, fanned by a strong harmattan wind. Traders screamed and scrambled to rescue their goods, but the fire spread far too quickly. By the time the fire service arrived, the entire market was an inferno. Sadly, the fire fighters could do little, for the nearest hydrant had no water and the narrow lanes made access difficult. When the fire finally died down, nothing was left but smouldering ash and the weeping faces of ruined traders.
This tragedy could have been avoided, and steps must be taken to prevent a recurrence. First, the sale and storage of inflammable substances such as petrol and kerosene inside markets should be strictly prohibited. Secondly, markets should be laid out with wide access roads and functioning fire hydrants so that fire fighters can respond swiftly. Thirdly, fire extinguishers should be provided at strategic points and traders trained in their use. Finally, faulty electrical wiring should be inspected regularly by qualified engineers.
If these measures are put in place, the town will be spared a repeat of this heartbreaking disaster. The authorities must act now, before another market and the livelihoods it supports are lost to the flames.
Key features expected: a catchy headline and by-line; vivid description of the incident; at least three practical preventive measures; formal, impersonal newspaper style; logical paragraphing.
Akọwa Nkọwa
Model answer: newspaper article
INFERNO REDUCES CENTRAL MARKET TO ASHES
By Chidi Okeke
Disaster struck our town last Tuesday when a raging fire completely destroyed the Central Market, the commercial heartbeat of the community. As an eye-witness, I watched in horror as decades of trade and toil went up in smoke within a few hours.
The fire started at about two o'clock in the afternoon, apparently from a stall where petrol was being sold in the open. Within minutes, the flames leapt from one wooden shed to another, fanned by a strong harmattan wind. Traders screamed and scrambled to rescue their goods, but the fire spread far too quickly. By the time the fire service arrived, the entire market was an inferno. Sadly, the fire fighters could do little, for the nearest hydrant had no water and the narrow lanes made access difficult. When the fire finally died down, nothing was left but smouldering ash and the weeping faces of ruined traders.
This tragedy could have been avoided, and steps must be taken to prevent a recurrence. First, the sale and storage of inflammable substances such as petrol and kerosene inside markets should be strictly prohibited. Secondly, markets should be laid out with wide access roads and functioning fire hydrants so that fire fighters can respond swiftly. Thirdly, fire extinguishers should be provided at strategic points and traders trained in their use. Finally, faulty electrical wiring should be inspected regularly by qualified engineers.
If these measures are put in place, the town will be spared a repeat of this heartbreaking disaster. The authorities must act now, before another market and the livelihoods it supports are lost to the flames.
Key features expected: a catchy headline and by-line; vivid description of the incident; at least three practical preventive measures; formal, impersonal newspaper style; logical paragraphing.
Ajụjụ 7 Ripọtì
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
On a global basis, no statistics are adequate to suggest the magnitude of the revolution in education today. In the United States Information Services libraries in the third world, about thirty million people annually use the facilities provided. The agency distributes eight million books every year. The Soviet Union also distributes over one hundred and fifty million books to developing countries all over the world. But together, these programmes do not come near to meeting the world demand.
Mere facts and figures cannot convey the human passion for learning. In the English-speaking teaching programmes mounted for children in Latin-American countries, children have been known to have sold the shoes off their feet to pay their way to classes. In Africa, a tribal chief was turned away from enrolling in a class because there were no more chairs. The next day, he and a contingent of his fellow chiefs were waiting outside the door, each carrying his own chair.
This revolution is not limited to the developing world. In the United States there are more than fifty million students attending more than 185,000 public and private schools at all levels. There are more students today in the United States than there were city residents only forty years ago. We have entered an age in which education is not just a luxury which gives some men an advantage over others. It has become a necessity without which a person is defenseless in this complex industrialized society. Levels of education which were once regarded with awe have now become Commonplace. And jobs which once could be filled with possession of strength and native intelligence now call for a college degree. We have truly entered the century of the educated man.
It is a mistake, however, to confuse skill with education. A man who has been taught only to hold a job has not been educated; he has only been trained. And the man who has merely been trained is not fully qualified to take his p a free society as a fully participating citizen. An all-round education should equip the learner for any challenges he may encounter.
Education, of course, is not something that is acquired just in college. It is a life-long task and when I think of death, I think of it as the moment when the brain ceases to inquire and expand.
(a) In four sentences, one for each, summarize the instances given by the writer to show that education is spreading at a very rapid rate.
(b) In two sentences, one for each, state the reasons given by the writer to support the view that education is changing fast.
(a) Instances showing that education is spreading rapidly (one sentence each):
(b) Reasons showing that education is changing fast (one sentence each):
Akọwa Nkọwa
(a) Instances showing that education is spreading rapidly (one sentence each):
(b) Reasons showing that education is changing fast (one sentence each):
Ajụjụ 8 Ripọtì
The Political Science Students Association in one of the higher institutions of learning has invited your school to participate in a debate on the topic: Civil Rule is Preferable to Military Rule. Write out your speech for or against the motion.
Debate: "Civil Rule is Preferable to Military Rule" (Speaking For the Motion)
Mr Chairman, distinguished panel of judges, accurate timekeeper, my worthy opponents, ladies and gentlemen. I stand before this august gathering to speak in support of the motion that civil rule is preferable to military rule. I shall show, beyond doubt, that government of the people, by the people and for the people is far superior to government at the point of the gun.
My first point, ladies and gentlemen, is that civil rule guarantees the fundamental rights and freedoms of the people. Under a democracy, citizens enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of association and of worship. They can criticise their leaders without fear. Under military rule, on the other hand, such freedoms are suspended, dissent is crushed, and the people live in fear of the soldier's boot.
Secondly, civil rule is founded on the rule of law. In a democracy, everyone, ruler and ruled alike, is subject to the constitution and the courts. Military rule, by contrast, rests on decrees imposed by force, and power is exercised at the whim of a few armed men who are answerable to no one.
Thirdly, civil rule allows the people to choose and to change their leaders through periodic and peaceful elections. If a government fails, the ballot box removes it. Military governments seize power unlawfully and can be removed only by another violent coup, plunging the nation into instability and bloodshed.
My opponents may argue that the military brings discipline and quick decisions. I concede that soldiers may act swiftly, but swift action without accountability is a dangerous thing. A wrong decision taken quickly can ruin a nation, and there is no lawful way to reverse it. It is far better to be governed by law, however slowly, than by force, however swiftly.
Mr Chairman, distinguished judges, in the protection of rights, in the rule of law and in the freedom to choose our leaders, civil rule stands head and shoulders above military rule. I therefore urge this noble house to support the motion that civil rule is indeed preferable to military rule.
Thank you.
Akọwa Nkọwa
Debate: "Civil Rule is Preferable to Military Rule" (Speaking For the Motion)
Mr Chairman, distinguished panel of judges, accurate timekeeper, my worthy opponents, ladies and gentlemen. I stand before this august gathering to speak in support of the motion that civil rule is preferable to military rule. I shall show, beyond doubt, that government of the people, by the people and for the people is far superior to government at the point of the gun.
My first point, ladies and gentlemen, is that civil rule guarantees the fundamental rights and freedoms of the people. Under a democracy, citizens enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of association and of worship. They can criticise their leaders without fear. Under military rule, on the other hand, such freedoms are suspended, dissent is crushed, and the people live in fear of the soldier's boot.
Secondly, civil rule is founded on the rule of law. In a democracy, everyone, ruler and ruled alike, is subject to the constitution and the courts. Military rule, by contrast, rests on decrees imposed by force, and power is exercised at the whim of a few armed men who are answerable to no one.
Thirdly, civil rule allows the people to choose and to change their leaders through periodic and peaceful elections. If a government fails, the ballot box removes it. Military governments seize power unlawfully and can be removed only by another violent coup, plunging the nation into instability and bloodshed.
My opponents may argue that the military brings discipline and quick decisions. I concede that soldiers may act swiftly, but swift action without accountability is a dangerous thing. A wrong decision taken quickly can ruin a nation, and there is no lawful way to reverse it. It is far better to be governed by law, however slowly, than by force, however swiftly.
Mr Chairman, distinguished judges, in the protection of rights, in the rule of law and in the freedom to choose our leaders, civil rule stands head and shoulders above military rule. I therefore urge this noble house to support the motion that civil rule is indeed preferable to military rule.
Thank you.
Ajụjụ 9 Ripọtì
Your school was tipped to win the final match of the inter-school football competition for secondary schools in your state, but unfortunately you lost to the underdog. Write an article for publication in your school magazine on that match, explaining why your school lost and the lessons to be learnt.
The Match We Were Sure to Win
By a Sports Correspondent
Rarely has our school known such disappointment as it did on the day of the state inter-school football final. We had been tipped as clear favourites, having crushed every team on our way to the final. Yet, when the whistle blew at last, it was the underdog, Holy Trinity College, that lifted the trophy, and we trudged home in silence. In this article I wish to reflect on why we lost and the lessons the defeat has taught us.
Why We Lost
The first reason for our defeat was overconfidence. So certain were we of victory that our players took the match lightly. They trained half-heartedly in the days before the final, boasting of the goals they would score, while our opponents prepared quietly and seriously.
Secondly, we underrated our opponents. We dismissed Holy Trinity as a weak side unworthy of our steel. That contempt proved costly, for they came onto the pitch hungry, determined and well organised, closing every gap and punishing our carelessness.
Thirdly, there was poor teamwork on our side. Our star players, eager for personal glory, refused to pass the ball and quarrelled openly on the field. A team divided against itself cannot stand, and our disunity handed the initiative to our rivals, who scored the only goal midway through the second half.
The Lessons Learnt
Painful as it was, the defeat taught us valuable lessons. We learnt that no opponent, however humble, should ever be underrated. We learnt that overconfidence is the mother of failure, and that hard preparation, not empty boasting, wins matches. Above all, we learnt that unity and teamwork are worth more than the brilliance of any single player.
We have taken these lessons to heart. Our team now trains with humility and discipline, and we are resolved to reclaim the trophy next season. In truth, this defeat may yet prove to be the making of a greater team.
Akọwa Nkọwa
The Match We Were Sure to Win
By a Sports Correspondent
Rarely has our school known such disappointment as it did on the day of the state inter-school football final. We had been tipped as clear favourites, having crushed every team on our way to the final. Yet, when the whistle blew at last, it was the underdog, Holy Trinity College, that lifted the trophy, and we trudged home in silence. In this article I wish to reflect on why we lost and the lessons the defeat has taught us.
Why We Lost
The first reason for our defeat was overconfidence. So certain were we of victory that our players took the match lightly. They trained half-heartedly in the days before the final, boasting of the goals they would score, while our opponents prepared quietly and seriously.
Secondly, we underrated our opponents. We dismissed Holy Trinity as a weak side unworthy of our steel. That contempt proved costly, for they came onto the pitch hungry, determined and well organised, closing every gap and punishing our carelessness.
Thirdly, there was poor teamwork on our side. Our star players, eager for personal glory, refused to pass the ball and quarrelled openly on the field. A team divided against itself cannot stand, and our disunity handed the initiative to our rivals, who scored the only goal midway through the second half.
The Lessons Learnt
Painful as it was, the defeat taught us valuable lessons. We learnt that no opponent, however humble, should ever be underrated. We learnt that overconfidence is the mother of failure, and that hard preparation, not empty boasting, wins matches. Above all, we learnt that unity and teamwork are worth more than the brilliance of any single player.
We have taken these lessons to heart. Our team now trains with humility and discipline, and we are resolved to reclaim the trophy next season. In truth, this defeat may yet prove to be the making of a greater team.
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