Markle Meghan welcome: Did Obi of Onitsha, Eze Arochukwu, Olu of Warri display “colonial master mentality”?

The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Anichebe, the Eze Aro of the Ancient Arochukwu Kingdom, His Eminence, Engr Eberechukwu Oji, and the Olu of the Ancient Warri Kingdom, Ogiame Atuwatse III, left their royal palaces over the weekend and traveled to Lagos to welcome the Duchess of Sussex, Her Royal Majesty Meghan Markle.

Markle, it could be recalled, is currently on a three-day private visit to Nigeria with her husband, Prince Harry.

Prince Harry, on the other hand, is the younger son of King Charles of England.

Other dignitaries present at the occasion include Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu, as well as other South East personalities.

(Bianca is the wife of the former Biafran warlord, the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.)

Why Meghan Markle and Prince Harry visited Nigeria

The British royal couple visited Nigeria on the invitation of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa.

Defence Headquarters Director of Sports, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Abidemi Marquis, disclosed this in a statement.

AVM Marquis said the founder of Invictus Games will spend 3 days in Nigeria and interact with wounded soldiers.

He will also interact with the families of the wounded soldiers in the same vein.

He noted that the visit, which began on May 10, will last till May 13, 2024.

According to him, it is expected to boost the morale of wounded soldiers in their recovery efforts.

Meghan Markle, who claims 43% Nigerian and Igbo origin, was affectionately honoured by her hosts with the Igbo title, “Ada Mazi”.

Speaking glowing of Meghan’s visit, an observer said it marked a momentous occasion.

The observer commended the three distinguished royals, the Obi of Onitsha, the Eze Aro of Arochukwu Kingdom and the Olu of Warri, for coming together to welcome their daughter, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.

According to him, the visit was so significant that the three kings left their palaces and journeyed to Lagos to extend heartfelt welcome to her.

“Reflecting on this remarkable honor bestowed upon Meghan and Harry, words fail to capture the depth of emotion stirred by such a profound display of respect and admiration,” he said.

Activist knocks traditional rulers

Another observer, a human and political rights activist, and businessman, Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Okonkwo, during an interview with Diaspora Digital Media (DDM), however, countered the narrative as “colonial master mentality”.

Dr. Okonkwo wondered how the three First Class traditional rulers will abandon their duty posts, go all the way to Lagos, just to welcome a “former colonial master”, Harry and his wife, Meghan.

He said: “If she had journeyed to pay homage to them as custodians of her ancestral ordinances, that would have been a different ball game.

“But to travel to Lagos to welcome Meghan Markle… that is why our traditions and cultures are not valued anymore.

“It is nothing short of abomination and desecration of their royal priesthood as custodians of ancestral ordinances.

“By the way, I recall when the United States Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, visited Nigeria in the build-up to the 2015 general elections.

“He went to northern Nigerian where he held meetings with some of their political rulers.

“Afterwards, he went met with some of their traditional rulers at their palaces and paid them homage.

“That is how it is done. You don’t stoop lower that your stool in the name of courtesy.

“It’s high time our people get rid of this colonial master mentality and start thinking of themselves as equals.

“Their royalty is in no way inferior to hers, unless they don’t value what is in their possession,” Okonkwo fumed.

About Meghan Markle

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, born Rachel Meghan Markle on August 4, 1981, is an American member of the British royal family and a former actress.

She is married to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son of King Charles III.

Meghan was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.

Her acting career began at Northwestern University.

Therein, she played the part of Rachel Zane for seven seasons (2011–2018) in the American TV legal drama “Suits”.

She also developed a social media presence, including The Tig (2014–2017), a lifestyle blog.

Charity work

During The Tig period, Markle became involved in charity work focused primarily on women and social justice.

She was previously married to American film producer Trevor Engelson from 2011 until their divorce in 2014.

Upon her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018, she assumed the position of the Duchess of Sussex.

The couple stepped down as working royals in January 2020 and moved to Meghan’s native Southern California.

There, they launched Archewell Inc., a Beverly Hills-based mix of profit and non-profit (charitable) organizations.

In March 2021, she sat for Oprah with Meghan and Harry, a much-publicized American television interview with her husband and Oprah Winfrey.

She has also released “The Bench”. a picture book for children, and launched a podcast called Archetypes.

Additionally, Meghan Markle and Harry filmed Harry & Meghan, a Netflix docuseries released in December 2022.

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