On March 1, 1983, 35 years ago - at the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University - the Germans, through the Goethe Institut, also known as the German Cultural Centre, gave me the book entitled The New Physics: Route into the Atomic Age, by Armin Herman. The presentation of The New Physics was made at the Ife Book Fair, held in Oduduwa Hall. Prof Wole Soyinka was chairman of the management committee.

A few days before, I had met, for the first time, with Chike Uzor, referred to as “the one who introduces everyone else to Albert Einstein.” It was while looking into The New Physics I began to see the elements of Albert Einstein in Wole Soyinka, and Germany in Nigeria. You might have read my article on the coincidences in the lives of Albert Einstein and Wole Soyinka in The Guardian, January 8, 9 or 10, 2013. It was also published by GIDI campus on Facebook, on January 10, 2013 and inigeria.com.

Actually, there are six Chikes I have discovered. Chike1 (Prof Chike Obi, Mathematician and Theoretical Physics Prize Winner), Chike 2 (Dr Balogun Chike Obi, son of Prof Chike Obi and also a Theoretical Physicist), Chike 3 ( Dr Chike Uzor, Theoretical Physicist, first class degree), Chike 4 (Chike Nwosu (Nuclear Engineer and Theoretical Physicist, first class degree), Chike 5 (Chike Agbakoba). Chike 5 was asked to rest at home by the authorities at the International School, Ibadan, after being found to be playing with fire-works, otherwise known as “knockout”. So, I was asked by his mother to keep him busy. I met him on December 2, the anniversary of the first test of a nuclear reactor: The last topic he treated in his general science class was “The Law of Conservation of Energy,” which is related to fire-works. I made him read about nuclear energy. I saw he had got comprehension, so I named him Chike 5. He said he wanted to become an aeronautical engineer. Chike 6 (Chinemelu Ezeh) a robotics engineer and Founder of the Robotics Society, University College, London, was featured in ThisDay newspaper on March 14, 2017 then aged 26. March 14, 1879, Einstein was born, and he became the greatest scientist of the 20^th century, at the age of 26. Chike 6 was also featured in The Guardian on April 18, 2017: the anniversary of the death of Einstein in 1955. Recall, things happened somewhat in reverse for Prof Chike Obi. He was born April 17, 1921 and died March 13, 2008.

February 8, 2016 was the anniversary of the birth of Pauline Koch Einstein (Albert Einstein’s mother). The German President commenced his visit to Nigeria the next day, February 9, he met with Wole Soyinka at Freedom Park Lagos. February 10, Soyinka was made co-chairman of Lagos at 50 Committee. On February 11, while the German president was still visiting Nigeria, scientists confirmed the existence of gravitational waves, as postulated by Einstein, a Theoretical Physicist. A few weeks later, from April 18 to April 20, Soyinka was invited to deliver lectures at the Princeton University. Einstein passed away on April 18, 1955 in Princeton.

•COINCIDENCES is a periodic column published on selected Wednesdays. The next appearance will be on September 26, 2018. The columnist, Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth, is based in England, Britain, but can be reached via e-mail through atogonub@yahoo.com or info@newsexpressngr.com

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