USA Africa Dialogue Series - Fwd: A Meteor Leaves the Orbit of the Earth : The Departure of Catherine Achonolu by Patrick Iroegbu

                                                  A Meteor Leaves the Orbit of the Earth 

                                                  The Departure of Catherine Achonolu

                                                                           by 

                                                                Patrick Iroegbu

                                                                                                                

In Memory of Prof. Catherine Acholonu's Passing Away. 

The news of her death is as shocking to everyone who knows her as a student in Germany or at home, scholar, international conference maker and enthusiast, lecturer, researcher and publisher, political and UN's representative. 

Dr. Catherine Acholonu's life and death have deep meaning for the Igbo and African scholarship in general. In recent years, she was the most outstanding researcher and authority on the research and interpretation of Igbo culture, history and identity from archaeological elements, reports and claims from precolonial, colonial and post colonial insights and tailored excitements and curiosities. 

I came to knowing what she stood for through her book "Motherism" which helped me as a graduate student in Europe to discuss gender, culture and identity with a focus on women and mothering.

My first ever face to face contact with Prof. Acholonu whom I have admired deeply for her tireless struggles to redefine women's role and inclusion in every aspect of social, political, economic lives and knowledge systems, was in 2010 during the Igbo Studies Association Annual Conference in Washington DC at Howard University. 

But I have in many ways read and used her publications in the past. When she introduced herself to me saying I am Catherine Acholonu, I quickly said, hmm, are you professor Catherine Acholonu? She friendly and nicely said yes, and she went further and said but how come you are saying that? I added, that you are well known among social science scholars and students. I have been reading you and do moreover heard about you when you were at Alvan. She smiled and said may be that is too little of me yet. Wished me to read more and apply more of her contributions to top research and development studies. She was right when I purchased a couple of her books during the conference and our conversation grew from there.

I deeply regret failing to attend one of her lectures and conferences in Nigeria to which I was invited. In one occasion she sent me a query to explain why I did not get myself down and participate in a conference to allow my anthropological experiences and contributions to be shared at home.
In the Facebook column, Prof. Catherine Acholonu was visibly present and happened to be one of those scholars with a class who boldly used the Facebook to challenge many assumptions and corrected some falsehoods on Igbo scholarship, origin and migration theories.

We have lost an academic award research winner, a rare gem; a pioneer in reconstructing archaeological and anthropological knowledge systems and interpretations in Africa. She successfully built Catherine Acholonu's Research Center in Abuja and traveled places in Igboland conducting research and discussing Igbo knowledge issues and we hope the Creative Center will continue to flourish with shared affiliations to research institutions and Universities.

May the gallant soul of Prof. Catherine Acholonu rest in peace and continue to be part of our Igbo ancestral wisdom, oracular divination, identity and healing pragmatics. Yet her exit is a valley gap difficult to fill. As such, her reincarnation will not be long. Adieu.

Retitled and reformatted by Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju