Family of geniuses

Written by By Peter Ogbonna Eze

• Tale of 6 kids of same parents with exceptional intelligence

• After 3 siblings enrolled in varsity at 14, younger one ready at 12

A family of eight with six genius children has been discovered in Abuja.

The family hails from Ohafia Local Government area of Abia State. The family boasts of a record of successful admission of their children in universities at the maximum age of 14. Their true life story actually sounds like a fairy tale.

Parents of the kids and the last two, including Victor who completed his secondary education at 11 visited our office in Abuja to tell their extraordinary story.

Victor, aged 11 already holdsa primary school certificate, Junior and Senior WAEC certificates, Junior and Senior Word of Faith Bible Institute certificatesand another certificate from NABTEB.

Theparents of the children, Mr. Stanley Udensi and Mrs. Chinwe Udensi in their accounts told Abuja Metro that to them, the trend followed by their kids is divine favour and beyond their explanation. Or how else could they explain that their six children have continued to take same academic and intellectual path until Victor set a new record altogether.

To Mr. Udensi, his other attribution of such intelligence shown by his children is his wife's gene, whomheclaims was very intelligentin her school days. He also stated that his wifewas denied First Class grade in her university days.

But to Mrs. Udensi, a nurse, the reverse is the case. She said that despite the fact that her husband did not go far in his education, she is sure that apart from God, her children must have inherited the intelligence traits from her husband. She described her husband as a very brilliant and wise man whom even professors, and several other experts come to seek his advice. She said that because of the depth and quality of her husband's reasoning and thinking, she does not argue her husband's input and suggestion in her professional career.

Abuja Metro during an interaction to unravel how or what must have made these children, without exception, very outstanding, an enroll in schools far earlier than the statutory ages, especially the eleven year old boy, knowing that the education system of Nigeria is 6-3-3-4, their mum said she had genuine intention to find a way in training her children as fast as she can, with respect to the fact that they are many and at the same time in consideration of the financial implications involved. She equally said that her children do not attend crèche and she does not allow them to waste their time in nursery school.

She said: "I have six of them, and they are very intelligent. But you also know the financial attachments that go with giving all of them proper education. So, I do not like enrolling them in nursery school. Once they are born, I teach them and make sure they start learning from very tender age. When they reach up to a year and six months, I will put them in nursery one because at that age, they are already big and talking and they are even writing letters of alphabets because of the nurturing and teaching I have given them. And from nursery one they move into primary school without passing through the normal nursery two and three. I do that because I already have it in my plans My intention has been to follow that pattern, partly because they are many and if I should allow them pass the normal process, it might be quite difficult to handle. But God helps me because their intelligence helped to make it a success too.

Further speaking, she said: "The third child recently marked her 17th birthday and is in her 3rd year in the university. She also enrolled into the university at 14. Presently, she is on her Industrial Training (IT) at the NNPC."

Mrs. Udensi also denied influencing her children's performances and also taking any supplement or drugs during pregnancy that might lead to such intelligence quotient of her children.

"Ordinarily, I can't even explain how all these happen, because I don't even know any of theirteachers. They just bring their report that my child is now in a particular class. They would say that if the child has performed extraordinarily, they have no option but to promote them. For example Treasure, my last child is eight and she is in JSS 1. In her primary six at age of seven, she was already teaching primary five pupils and she was the head girl too. Most often, she comes home with gifts that her teacher gives to her for her performances.

She also said: 'Though I am a nurse, but it still has nothing to do with my career. I had all my children on getting to 40 weeks but its only Victor I delivered at 38 weeks. Each of them had a peculiar thing attached to their birth and I did not deliver any through surgery, despite some medical reports that requested the need for surgical operation.

To me, it's just divine favour because I did not do any extraordinary thing. I did not even take any antenatal drug. I don't like drugs and I fear drugs. I can only attribute it to beingplanted in the house of God, because my bibletells me that thosethat are planted in the house of God shall flourish like palm trees."

She continued: "My husband is also a very intelligent person, I fear him even though he is not that educated but his wisdom is the type that keeps attracting even professors and people of various professions to seek his counsel. And it works for them. I know I was a bright student in terms of taking lead in school then, but my husband is exceptional.

Eleven-year-old Victor's story among his sibling is spectacular because according to the father, he had shown strong sign of a genius from his early childhood. The first statement he also uttered about himself was that he is the CBN governor. He said that even in the national hospital where he was delivered, the medical still ask him about the CBN governor whom they had earlier been showering with gifts in his tender age and referring to him as a genius. He also said that in one occasion toward Victor'ssixth birthday, he had surprised one of his friends who was manager of a bank with the level ofresponses and questions from him.

"Right from the time he was a kid, when he was less than two years, a year and nine months precisely. He was popularly known as a CBN governor especially at the national hospital where he was born. The directors in the hospital still ask me after him today. This is because the first statement he made is that he is the CBN governor. One of the directors in the hospital brought some currencies and gave him, asking him to differentiate each note. And he was able to identify each of the notes irrespective of the type of currency shown to him. So they said he is a genius. And they would shower him with gifts including money, flowers and cakes then.

"Also at the age of 6, I took him along to visit a friend who was the General Manager of First Bank at Area 3. As a little boy, the manager engaged him in a conversation but was surprised at his responses. He was thrilled by the kind of questions Victor asked. And he asked him the course he read to have come to that stage. And to our astonishment, Victor said he read accountancy. So, the manager started interviewing him and eventually asked me to bring him some other time, but the boy refused, saying that he is the boss, the only general manager and CBN governor. And that he (the manager) should be the one to come and see him. And we just laughed it off."

On the secrets behind Victor's special success of being a holder of different certificates at eleven, three years earlier than his elder siblings who had similar training and guidance.

Victor's father noted that: "He started school at a year and four months and spent four years in primary school. Whenever he gets into a particular class, they will say he is too intelligent for the level. So, he consistently received promotions. When he was to enroll into secondary school, he did not start early with his mates due to some personal emergencies but at the end of the term, he still came first in the class. The principal then said that since he is a genius, and that he will give him a scholarship. In his JSS 2, he was asked to take junior WAEC and again, he came out in flying colours and that was how the school promoted him to SSI. In his SS2, he opted to contest for senior prefect but they said he was too young and therefore did not allow him to contest. Even when he was writing his senior WAEC, he also registered in other exams, though without our knowledge and or approval."

Victor himself narrated that not many people accepted him during his quests for the exams for reasons he still doesn't understand. He said they tried to keep him away most times. And in all the tests and exams, he normally takes the lead, citing it to be not only favour from God but also effect of his reading method. He also stated his inspirations and reasons for thinking to be a CBN governor at that early stage.

He said: "Actually when I was a child, I read a lot and when I was younger than two, some people would present some notes to me, and ask me what denominations they were and the names on it. And when I got it correctly, they began calling me the CBN governor. So, I understood it as what I was supposed to be.

"On my reading method, whatever I read sticks to my brain. I take note on my own from textbooks and teachers note and read from it. And In all the tests and exams, I always come first. During my JuniorWAEC, it was a surprise because my principal just insisted that I must take the exam on the premise that I was doing well. So, I agreed, wrote it and eventuallycame topin the results again," he said.

When Abuja Metro threw a question to him with respect to his secondary school syllabus, he answered them correctly with details. When asked if he is under pressure for growing too fast compared to his mates, he responded, "I am not because I feel it's a normal thing. I believe we have not reached the highest stage. We keep going higher everyday and there is no height that one will reach and say that he has actually grown."

The first child of the family, Alex is 20 years, and is presently studying electrical/electronics in United Kingdom. He got into the university at 14, just like his younger ones. He left the country with his immediate younger brother, Jerry, after spending three years in a Nigerian universityonreason that the university was below their expectation and that they weren'tgetting the practical aspect of their fields of study.