Okonko Research: Profiles of Igbo Scholars: Fada Jon Ofoegbu Ukaegbu, Ph.D.

Profile:

Fada Jọn Ọfọegbu Ụkaegbu, Ph.D.

Fada Jọn Ọfọegbu Ụkaegbu, Ph.D., hails from Umueze Enyiogwugwu, Mbaise in Igboland West Afrịka. Professor Ụkaegbu is a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Umuahia. As a Biafran war veteran, he survived the bloodiest war in modern Afrịka. His experience of the genocidal war against Biafra made an everlasting impression on him. He earned his Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral degrees from the Pontifical Urban University Rome and the Pontifical University of Salamanca, Spain respectively. He joined the Staff of the Faculty of Philosophy at the Bigard Memorial Seminary in Enugwu, Nigeria in 1991. From 1992 to 1995, he served as the Dean of Studies. He is currently an Adjunct Professor in the Department of the Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Medgar Evers College and in the Humanities Department of the Hostos Community College, both of the City University of New York. Dr. Ukaegbu is so fluent in the Spanish language that he delivers lectures in Spanish at the Maria Eugenio Hostos Community College in the Bronx. He teaches Anthropology and Social Science at the Medgar Evers College. At the same time he is engaged with some pastoral work and serves as the current chaplain of the Blessed Tansi Society in the Americas. Fada Jọn is the Patron and co-founder of the Obinwanne Ndi Katọlik Igbo in New York.

By training, he is a Theologian, a Philosopher, Cultural Anthropologist and Social Scientist. His effort to blend theology with philosophy and anthropology gives rise to the theory of Cultural Communion, which serves as a stepping-stone to Spiritual Communion.

His research on cultural symbolism from a philosophical perspective is en route to the birth of Symbolic Philosophy. Fidelity to his research projects has helped him emerge as a strong advocate of Intellectual Honesty which promotes Intellectual Freedom, especially in Afrịka. One of the fruits of his research on cultural symbolism is his political theory on Cultural Government. This theory presents Cultural Government as a “Deus ex machina” (Saving grace) which is supposed to be in partnership with Civil Government in the new world order of the third millennium.

In his study of humanity and society, Professor Ụkaegbu has become an exponent of Afro-vision which propagates Afrịkan Originality and Identity; and as a consequence of this societal commitment, he has proven himself as an eloquent Pan-Afrịkanist in the Afronoid context and a faithful Pan-Humanist in the larger human family. He presents Pan-Afrịkanism as Afrịkan brotherhood while Pan-Humanism stands for the universal brotherhood. In an attempt to concretize his profession of philosophical realism, Prof. Ụkaegbu focused on his Afrịkan experience and Igbo background. Due to his attention to the Igbo world, he has become a champion of the cause of Igbonization, and has emerged as an avowed Igboist and protagonist of Igboism.

Fada Ụkaegbu is a community-oriented person and serves as a Board member of a series of Corporations that promote the Igbo agenda. He is co-founder and Secretary General of the World Igbo National Catholic Council, Inc. He is equally the Director of St. Vincent Benevolent Society, Inc. Fada Jợn is the current Overseer of The Administrator of Ọkọnkọ Research, A Corporation Sole.

His dedication to research has led to a litany of works on Igbology; works that will be of great help in the Departments of Afrịkan Studies, Afrịkan Theology, Afrịkan Philosophy, Cultural Anthropology/Ethnology, Sociology, Comparative Religion, Social Science, Political Science and Ethnography. As a Cultural Anthropologist, Dr. Ụkaegbu has emerged as a dedicated Igbologist and deserves to be recognized as the Father of Igbology with its focus on Igbo Civilization and Heritage.

Original and renowned world civilizations like Egyptology are associated with river deltas and basins. Just as Egyptology deals with the Egyptian Civilization and Heritage, and owes much to the Nile delta, so does Igbology focus on the Niger Delta Civilization and Heritage. Igbology serves as an academic base and point of departure in this unraveling of Igbo Scholarship, Heritage and Civilization. Rev. Prof. Ụkaegbu welcomes Scholars to the thought provoking project of Igbology with its millennium package.