Catherine Acholonu: Culture ambassador extraodinnaire

By ADA DIKE

Social was agog with the news about the demise of prominent Nigerian female writer, researcher and former Special Adviser on Arts and Culture to the Ex-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Catherine Acholonu who died of kidney failure in Imo State on Tuesday, March 18, 2014.

She was 62 years old. The former lecturer on African Cultural and Gender Studies was the author of over 15 books such as: The Gram Code of African Adam: Stone Books and Cave Libraries, Reconstructing 450,000 Years of Africa's Lost Civilizations, which earned her the award of Professor of African History and Philosophy from Pilgrim's University and Theological Seminary, North Carolina; The Earth Unchained - A Quantum Leap in Consciousness, A Reply to Al Gore; Motherism - The Afrocentric Alternative to Feminism and The Igbo Roots of Olaudah Equiano.

Daily Newswatch gathered that most of her books are used in secondary schools and universities in Nigeria, and in African Studies Departments in USA and Europe.

She certainly left indelible footprints in the annals of humanity. Prof. Acholonu's works and projects have enjoyed the collaboration and the support of United States Information Service (USIA), the British Council, the Rockefeller Foundation, Microsoft World and the World Monument Fund.

In his statement, poet, literary essayist, culture technocrat and National Vice President of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Denja Abdullahi, said Prof Catherine Acholonu was renowned to be more of a critic and scholar of Pan African ideals in the areas of showcasing the contributions of African culture. “Her theory of motherism against western feminism and excursion into scholarly dimension of ancient Africa speak of her accomplishments,” Abdullahi said.

Born in Orlu, Imo State to the family of Chief Lazarus Olumba on October 26, 1951, she attended secondary schools in Orlu, before going abroad for her university education. She was at the University of Düsseldorf, in Germany, where she became the first African woman to gain a master’s degree in 1977 and a Ph.D. in 1987. She started working at the Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri, Imo State as a teacher in 1978, She was married into the Acholonu royal family of Orlu.

In 1990, Catherine Acholonu was honoured with the Fulbright Scholar in Residency award by the US government, during which she lectured at four colleges of the Westchester Consortium for International Studies, NY, USA.

Acholonu was the founder of Afa Publications, a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Corporate Administration, a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Administrators and a Fellow of the Whelan Research Institute, Owerri. She was also the founder of the Let’s Help Humanitarian Project, a charity-based NGO. She was also the Director of the Catherine Acholonu Research Centre (CARC), Abuja, and the Nigeria Country Ambassador of the United Nations Forum of Arts and Culture for the Implementation of the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNFAC). One of her titles — They Lived before Adam,   won the USA-based International Book Awards in 2009 in the multi-cultural non-fiction category.

Prof. Acholonu holds several awards from home and abroad.

From 1999 to 2002, she was the Special Adviser on Arts and Culture to the then President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (GCFR). A post she resigned from to seek election.

It is believed that The Grave of Sargon The Great. The ancient buried sumerian city of Akkad found was discovered by Professor Catherine Acholonu. Adieu, great matriarch who had special interest in cultural history.