I never permitted a mental imbalance shame prevent me from accomplishing significance – Prof Imafidon, Oxford don


Nigerian-born Chris Imafidon is a Professor at the University of Oxford, England. Though autistic, Imafidon, whose children have been described as world’s brainiest kids, tells ‘NONYE BEN-NWANKWO, how he got to the height he has achieved

You were at the University of Ilorin recently during their graduation and you said you would give a scholarship to the worst graduating student. Why?

You might need to ask my grandmother that because she believes that every child, without exception, has a lot to contribute to the society. She would find out what you are capable of doing. In my own generation, I try to implement what she lived by. She didn’t just preach it, she did it. She was interested in every child. I did what she would have done. She is gone now. But I am here to represent her voice.

I must not let her voice be unheard in my generation, I will always echo it and my mantra is that every child is a genius. If every child is a genius, then it shouldn’t matter if you are at the top of the class, bottom or middle. The lecturers were arguing with me but I told them that they would see what these people they judged the worst students would become. I would give them scholarships and if they don’t beat the ones you say are the best students after three years, I will publicly apologise.

 

Source : Punch