Maxwell, who is of the University of Advancing Technology, Tempe, Arizona, USA, made the assertion at the first public proclamation of the “Genius Principle” at the EbitimiBanigo Auditorium, last Monday, announcing plans to give 10 per cent of the royalty from his patent on thinking to fund research in thinking in the University of Port Harcourt.

 

Making the proclamation in a public lecture, Maxwell explained that the Principle, which he developed with Drew Ferguson, states that “At conception all humans are potentials geniuses in some domain and that genius is time-sensitive, environment-sensitive and mentor-sensitive.” 

 

The Second Professor of Thinking worldwide noted that “geniuses flower in an environment of love. Wherever you find love you will likely see geniuses. Genius does not thrive in homes without internal democracy,” noting that intelligence is a function of the soil on which a child grows. 

 

Maxwell, who performed two fascinating experiments that promptly identified potential geniuses from the University Demonstration Primary and Secondary Schools, described the Genius Principle simply as the deliberate nurturing of humans at their tender ages to discover their full potentials, warning that distraction also adversely affects the grooming of geniuses. 

 

“We have to look for real, not superstitious causes to explain genius...All humans at conception are potential geniuses in some domain,” Professor Maxwell submitted, calling family love and mother-father mentoring as a good strategy to cultivate geniuses     

In his remarks, Chairman of the occasion, OnuezeOkocha, observed that “it is intriguing to know that thinking has become a specialised discipline that could boast of professors,” noting that Nigeria would be a better place if its citizens take thinking seriously. 

 

Okocha, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), expressed satisfaction with the lecture, recalling his experience as a student of Government Comprehensive Secondary School, (GCSS) Borokiri, where he was privileged to have been taught by Professor Maxwell over four decades ago. 

 

In his speech, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Joseph Ajienka, who is also an old boy of GCSS, Borokiri, recounted his experience under the tutelage of Professor Maxwell about 43 years ago, attributing his career success and the achievements of his fellow old boys to their encounter with Professor Maxwell early in life. “We are happy that we were taught by Dr Maxwell as he was then known. He encouraged me to participate in the debating society. It is amazing that one could become a professor of thinking. Thinking makes a man,” he remarked. 

 

“We, his former students will contribute to a Professor Maxwell Chair in Early Child Education. I wish to commend Professor Maxwell for accepting to return to Port Harcourt and allow our paths to cross once more and for his willingness to contribute towards the establishment of a Chair in Thinking”, the Vice-Chancellor said, lauding Professor Clifford Ofurum of the Department of Accounting for facilitating the coming of  Professor Maxwell to the University.

 

Other former students of GCSS, who recounted their experiences while studying  under the renowned Professor of Thinking, included Vice-Chancellor, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Professor BarinemeFakae, and current President of the  Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), OkeyWali (SAN), both of who spoke highly of their erstwhile teacher, stressed the importance of including thinking in the curriculum of Nigerian school and universities as a means of charting a direction for the country.