Don moves to tackle mathematics phobia among secondary school students in Benue

A senior lecturer with the Taraba State University Jalingo, Dr John Ajai, on Saturday, awarded scholarship to outstanding mathematics students in secondary schools in Gwer-West Local Government Area of Benue to encourage the study of the mathematics.

The scholarship tagged, Nzuur Ajai Tsetse memorial mathematics scholarship scheme for JSS 3 students in the local government is initiated in memory of the founder’s late mother.

Chief Timothy Taryua, the Sole Administrator of Gwer-West local government council, presented the scholarship letters to the three winners of the mathematics competition in Naka, near Makurdi.

Taryua, who also presented the consolation prices to all the other 44 participants across the secondary schools in the council, told the students to take advantage of the opportunity and firmly embrace the course to brighten their future.

“I want to urge all of you to take advantage of Ajai’s gesture and firmly embrace mathematics which is the foundation of all sciences so as to guarantee your future,” he said.

Earlier, the founder, Ajai explained that the scholarship was aimed at encouraging the students to put aside mathematics phobia and face the course confidently for a brighter future.

He said his late mother encouraged him to study the course while she was alive and he thought it wise to fashion out the annual competition and scholarship in her memory.

Ajai, a PhD holder in Mathematics Education noted that the move became imperative following the increasing lack of interest in course by the students across the country.

In his speech, the Guest Speaker and  Deputy Dean Faculty of Arts, Benue State University, Makurdi, Dr Philip Bagu told the students to shun examination mal-practice and other social vices work hard in order to prepare themselves for leadership of the society.

Bagu commended Ajai for the gesture, saying it would go a long way in reviving the reading culture among students for a better society.

He explained that due to the upsurge in the cases of examination mal-practices, some of the country’s graduates lacked academic content.

“Examination mal-practice is gradually destroying the country’s education system and making way for a bad society because perpetrators normally graduate without academic content and they become a problem to the society,” he said.

NEWSVERGE reports that Masters Eze Somtorchukwu, Ageba Fanen and  Kwaghkper Solomon, who emerged winners after three different rounds of the competition got one year scholarship each to cover school fees, JSCE registration and books.