By: Zacharia Jalloh, Ministry of Information and Civic Education
As part of its ongoing Civic Day Series, the Ministry of Information and Civic Education hosted a two-day civic engagement event in Moyamba District aimed at deepening civic awareness and bringing government closer to the people.
The event, which attracted enthusiastic participation from students and community members, kicked off with a vibrant quiz and debate competition that tested the civic knowledge and intellectual prowess of local school pupils.
Four schools, St. Joseph’s Vocational School, Harford School for Girls, Kulafai Rashideen Islamic Secondary School, and St. Michael’s Junior Secondary School, participated in both the quiz and debate competitions.
The Quiz questions revolved around the history of Moyamba District and broader national civic and governance issues. After three rigorous rounds, Melvina Musa of Harford School for Girls emerged as the winner with an impressive 37 points, ahead of her closest competitor, Rashid Tiffer of St. Michael’s Junior Secondary School, who scored 23 points.
The debate competition was equally competitive. The four schools initially debated two topics: “The Importance of Free Education” and “Should Mobile Phones Be Allowed in Schools?” From the preliminary rounds, St. Michael’s Junior Secondary School and St. Joseph’s Vocational School advanced to the finals.
In the final round, Kelfala Samura of St. Michael’s and Ashmaru Deen of St. Joseph’s faced off on the topic “The Significance of Paying Tax.” After a compelling exchange of arguments, Kelfala Samura was declared the winner.
The Ministry presented cash prizes and academic materials, all customized with the Ministry’s brand, to the winners and runners-up in recognition of their outstanding performance and participation.
The Civic Day Series continues tomorrow with a high-level Town Hall Meeting that will bring together Ministers, Members of Parliament, and heads of government agencies to engage directly with the people of Moyamba District on issues of governance, service delivery, and civic participation.
This initiative underscores the Ministry’s commitment to fostering civic consciousness and empowering citizens, especially young people, through education and direct engagement.
