Truemors
Overhelming distances of over 6,500 miles across the Atlantic Ocean between the Nigerian village of Achalla and Beaumont Texas are no barrier to ancient tribal customs that still endure in todays fast changing technological world. Ben Okadigbo, a highway engineer with the Texas Department of Transportation and son of Chief Meraife was recently crowned new chief of Achalla, Nigeria after a five day festive ceremony.
Okadigbo -the eldest of 72 siblings fathered by his late dad and his 18 wives -was crowned the new chief of Achalla, a village in his native Nigeria, this month. His wife, Francisca, was crowned the "iyom," or queen, during the ceremony as his four children looked on
Twenty-five years ago, Chief Ben Okadigbo immigrated to Texas in 1983 where he eventually completed his undergraduate and graduate studies.
After he received a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Texas A&M in 1985 and a graduate degree from Lamar University in 1988, Beaumont became the African immigrant's new home.
Achalla is located in the state of Anhambra, Nigeria, which is the initial region where massive oil exploration was conducted in Nigeria. Today Nigeria is the fifth largest importer of global crude oil to the United States.
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