A Bill for an Act to amend the Federal Colleges of Education, 2003 and to establish the Federal College of Education, Special in Dukku Gombe State has scaled first reading in the House of Representatives.

The Bill was sponsored by Rep. Abdullahi El-rasheed (APC-Gombe) and read during the plenary in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said that the establishment of the school in Dukku Federal Constituency would help to actualise the aspirations of youths especially the physically challeged in the area.

He added that the establishment of the school would make it the second of its kind in the country.

The speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas put it to vote and was unanimously adopted by the House and passed for first reading.

From Attah Ede, Makurdi

Benue State University (BSU) Makurdi Lecturer, Dr Michael Vershima Atovigba, an Associate Professor on Wednesday, at the university’s Science and Mathematics Education Laboratory, demonstrated his findings for the determination of all odd composites up to a natural number, N.

Atovigba is famous for his works on Riemann Hypothesis, which was listed in 2001 by the Clay Mathematics Institute, New Jersey, as one of the seven millennium problems, George Akume Precision Equation, a second degree polynomial precision equation useful in economic theory in terms of budgeting and efficient allocation of resources, use of geometry to prove the probability theorem, which stopped the global campaign by America’s Prof.

Concerned that prime counting functions are approximations rather than precise algorithms that lead to precise counts of total number of primes up to a natural number, Dr. Atovigba says he devoted 15 years, “to search out for more algorithms that might provide with greater precision the total number of primes up to a given natural number.”

His focus therefore, was to establish “a prime number equation which provides total count of primes up to or under a given natural number,” the breakthrough he demonstrated today. The results of his “study have sequence of odd numbers leading to the sequence of odd composites divisible by one or more primes thus further leading to removal of all odd composites divisible by the primes under or up to a natural number, which leaves total number of primes under or up to that natural number.”

Dr. Atovigba’s Theorem, known as Odd Composites Algorithm states that 

C = Sum of (P1) – Sum of (P1,P2) + Sum of (P1,P2,P3) – …

Where

C means algorithm of odd composites

(P1) Means cardinality or count of odd composites divisible by P1 under N (given natural number)

(P1,P2) Means cardinality of odd composites divisible by both P1 and P2

(P1,P2,P3) Means cardinality of odd composites divisible by P1,P2,P3 etc. provided that the product (P1P2P3) etc is less than or equal to N.

In arriving at the equation, Don Atovigba made use of the inclusion-exclusion principle as a method of his study. “The study retains the original prime number equation Eta=K-C (Atovigba, 2014), where K is total number of odd numbers and C, algorithm of odd composites up to a natural number.

His conclusion is that the study has successfully come up with the algorithm for total count of odd composites up to a Natural Number, N, with a computer programme, set for an automation of total count of odd composites, hence total number of primes up to a natural number, using Eta= K-C.

Dr. Atovigba, therefore, recommends that the odd composites algorithm of this study along with the prime number equation should be accepted as platonic objects in number theory, and adopted by schools and universities globally.

“By Platonic object it is meant, the object has all along being in existence and can only be discovered,” he concludes. 

Prior to the breakthrough, Dr. Atovigba, in 2014, proposed the prime number equation (Eta= K-C), to the effect that the total number of primes under or up to a natural number is the difference between count of odd numbers and count of odd composites.

Professor Iormem Kyereve, who chaired the session described it as interesting, especially that primes are useful for rhe determination of the “power of computers.”

While congratulating Dr. Atovigba on the record, Prof Omenka Jerry, Head, Department of Science and Mathematics Education said the work is significant to the advancement of numerical analysis and number theory.

In his words of encouragement, Dr. Alfred Tyav of the Department of Industrial Technology, noted that great men (like Dr. Atovigba) may not be recognised when alive but when they are no more, they are honoured through their works because they have their names written in books of history.

For details of the work, contact Dr. Michael Vershima Atovigba: mikeatovigba@gmail.com. matovigba@bsum.org.edu

The Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund on Tuesday commenced a 60- day Robotics Challenge among secondary schools across the eight local government areas of the state.

Coding is an essential set of instructions that a robot can read and execute. Robotics combines the use of electronics, mechanics, and coding software to programme robots to do particular jobs.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Gentle Emelah, Commissioner for Education, said the state had been investing in technology across levels of education.

According to him, the robotics and coding challenge is part of the plans to deepen technology and innovation among the youth.

Emelah revealed that the state had fully integrated digital learning platforms for all public primary schools in four of the eight local government areas in Bayelsa.

In her remarks, Dr Alice Atuwo, Executive Secretary of the fund, recalled that robotics and coding was introduced in 2022 to 13 selected Model Secondary schools.

Atuwo said that 103 students participated in the holiday training that lasted for 30 days.

She said that the fund had fully equipped the model secondary schools with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) gadgets.

Atuwo, said all the model secondary schools received monthly support of N50,000 to provide internet connection, consumables and minor maintainable to keep the robotics programmes running.

“The robotics and coding programme is a component of the Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) policy that the fund is promoting in Bayelsa to make our students ready for the future.

“For those who may ask the question, why robotics, The answer is why not robotics.

“Robotics brings abstract knowledge to realities and our children can understand how robots can be deployed to accomplish tasks and provide solutions to everyday challenges,” Atuwo said.

She explained that the students would undergo trainings in robotics and coding, build and programme their robots to tackle issues of climate change.

Also speaking, Prof Francis Sikoki, Chairman of the Trust’s Board, said that technology skills in areas like robotics was essential in today’s digital world driven by knowledge and innovation.

He said that the educational development trust was toward ensuring the provision of science labour stories in all secondary schools in the state.

Also, Mrs Stellar Uzochukwu, a representative of Odyssey Educational Foundation, facilitators of the Bayelsa 2024 Robotics Challenge, auded Bayelsa government for supporting the programme.

She said that the programme would enable the youths to leverage on the knowledge acquire in coding and robotics to tackle the challenges posed by climate change in the state.(NAN)