OHAZURUME - Unizik Journal of Culture and Civilization

Monsignor Akam was a singular figure on the national and global stages. He was a man of quiet dignity and towering achievement, a giant of philanthropy and a down-to-earth human inspiration. His life, works, speeches and empathetic actions towards the other lifted hearts in dark times, gave hope in despair, refined the characters of men and women, inspired brave feats, gave courage to the weary and changed the course of history. This paper presented on the day of Msgr’s remembrance at Tansian University Umunya, focused on his symbolic or social immortality, accompanied by African paradigms that bring the understanding of the memorial of his person and life home to the Igbo-African. The objective of this presentation is to promote the fascination of Prof. Akam even in his physical absence. The dimensions of his symbolic immortality were discussed under his educational creative immortality, academic creative immortality, social/philanthropic creative immortality and ecclesiastical creative immortality. This work was weaved around the Igwebuike symbolic theory of immortality, which connects our present presence to our future unavoidable absence. The paper discovered that the immortality of the individual absolutely interpenetrates the immortality of the community, and it is within this context that the immortality of Msgr. Akam is understood and discussed.

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