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“The height by great men reached and kept, was not reached in a day. But they, while their friends played, were toiling and moiling all the night.”  This book was written by dint of great exertion. It took a lot of man-hours and patience.

An autobiography deals or should deal with what a person has done and recorded by himself and not others. The person writes it as he sees it and from his own perspective or point of view. This is what I did. 

The book is a historical record of things that happened to me in life and those directly and indirectly related to me. To my knowledge, no one in the Acholonu family or Awaka, my home has written his autobiography before me. I however recall that the biography of my late uncle, Sir Cyril Manuba Acholonu, titled “The Bridge Across Time” was written and published by Mr. V. C. Nwulu in 2004 at the request of his first son, Dr. Kenny Acholonu, with the support of his siblings. 

Apart from my decision to write my autobiography, some relations have urged me to write something about the Acholonu family before I die or directly or indirectly made reference to its need.  

 

Some years have elapsed since my decision to write this autobiography, was made.  Due to circumstances beyond my control, I could not get started immediately.  As a result of peculiar things that happened in my life, while I was growing up, I have always harbored the desire to record my experiences, which together have made me what I am today.  I remember the saying “those who forget history are doomed to relive it.”

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I have recorded what happened in my life as factually as possible. What I wrote may be offensive to some.  It is always said that the truth is bitter.  If some are offensive, they were not meant to be so. If some see any part as a mistake, it is a mistake of the head and not of the heart.  I have great regard for everyone.  It is also said that the only way to avoid making mistake is to do nothing. I have browsed through the autobiographies of some famous men like President Bill Clinton, Rev. Billy Graham, Edward Kennedy and others. I remember the words of Bernard Shaw, he said “Some people see things as they are and say why. I dream dreams of things that never were and say why not.” Why can’t I do what others have done?  So I drew my inspiration to write this autobiography from the work of some prominent people.  

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This book is written in simple form to facilitate comprehension and made picturesque as I believe in the Chinese proverb that says that a picture is worth more than a thousand words.  The chapters are chronological as much as possible and logically sequenced.  The chapter on the Igbo nation to which I belong, is thrown in as a challenge and to give a baseline concept of the Igbos as I see it. 

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To my knowledge, no Awaka man, my home, has put down in black and white the history of Awaka as a town. I have got it started in Chapter 1 and expect others to fill in the blanks and add omissions, if any. 

I expect this book to become an eye-opener to the Acholonu Family, the Awaka people, the Imo people to Nigeria as a whole and to Alcorn State University and America as whole. It is my legacy to Alcorn State University.  It is expected to be a resource book, a reference book and an archival book for posterity. 

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Conclusion

I have concluded this book by saying “How so true it is that life is like a roller coaster; you go up and you come down. This is what we call the ups and downs of life, the vicissitudes of life. How so true it is that often times the people you help most become the ones that seek your downfall or show ingratitude to you. But even so, faith, hope and love will conquer all.  

 

 

Written Pages

Ladies and gentleman, at the end of this semester I will retire from teaching after 54 years, devoted to this profession, 27 of which was spent here at Alcorn State University. Albeit, I am returning but not retired. For me it is going to be a transition from teaching in the four walls of a classroom to writing and publishing, to teaching in the broader confines of the world. 

So today, I have come to celebrate by my bowing out of teaching in an institution to seeking my fortune elsewhere. It is said: “that there is no resting for us until we rest in God.” It is also said “that He who rests, rusts”: I will continue to work until my good becomes my better and my better becomes my best. This is more so as it is also said that “he who stops being better, stops being good.” 

During my 27 years of teaching here I have tried to comport myself in a disciplined manner and have enforced discipline in my classes. As I told my students, It is a man’s attitude not his aptitude that determines his altitude or the latitude of a man’s attitude is his altitude. My students who know me, know that I am a loving and devoted but, serious, teacher; that I teach with all my heart, all my mind, and all my soul and with the interest of my students at heart; that I try to make my students get their money’s worth of knowledge and not fool around or show indiscipline. I always told them: “If you want to learn, come to my class. If otherwise, you are in the wrong place.” I know most of them will never forget me. I bid farewell to Alcorn State University.