HUMANISM, PARANORMALS AND THE AFRICAN IN A CHANGING WORLD

I am very much elated, humbled and honoured to deliver this inaugural lecture today, 8th November, 2023. Mr. Vice Chancellor, Sir, permit me to recall that on Thursday, 25th May, 2023, while I was at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, attending the 7th International Conference of the Association for the Promotion of African Studies, a colleague of mine called me on phone and exclaimed: "Congratulations, Prof!" While I was still trying to understand the reason for the phone call, he went further to say: "Few minutes ago at the floor of the Senate, the Vice Chancellor announced your promotion to the rank of Professor." I was very dumbfounded and felt like dancing Ikorodo (the native dance of Nsukka culture area). Few minutes later, I started receiving series of congratulatory messages and phone calls from friends and associates. While still at the conference, with congratulatory messages trooping in, the first thought that came to my mind was: "Ejikemeuwa, when are you presenting your inaugural lecture?" And so, I replied to the thought: "Let me collect my promotion letter first." I came back from the conference on Saturday, 27 May, 2023 and on Thursday, 1st June, 2023, I went to the office of the Registrar to collect my letter of promotion. Immediately I collected my letter, I said to myself that the only way to truly congratulate myself is to choose a date to deliver my inaugural lecture. On Tuesday, 6th June, 2023, I wrote a letter to the Chairman of Inaugural Lecture Committee, Prof. C. C. Onochie, JP, requesting to be scheduled to present my inaugural lecture. But since he was not in his office at the time, I went to the office of the Vice Chancellor to give him an advance copy of the letter. To my greatest surprise, immediately the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Eugene Okoye Nwadialor, glanced through my letter, he quickly stood up from his seat, shook my hand and exclaimed: "Thank you for making me proud."

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