Erelu Mabel Tinuade Onaneye, the traditional title holder of Erelu Oodua of Aye Kingdom and the Irawo Ooni Oodua of Yoruba Land, has described the installation of Ms Diana Chen, a Chinese Woman, as the Iyalaje of Iru Land in Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State by His Royal Majesty, Oba Omogbolahan Wasiu Lawal, the Oniru of Iru as a desecration of Yoruba Culture.

Tinuade Mabel Onaneye, the Erelu Oodua of Aye Kingdom and the Irawo Oni Oodua of Yoruba Land

Starnews Nigeria reports that the USA-based businesswoman and custodian of African cultures, Erelu, spoke with Starnews Nigeria Correspondent on Sunday while calling on Kabiyesi Omogbolahan of Iru Kingdom to revoke such a title from the Chinese woman.

The angry Erelu said a lot of happenings in the traditional institution of the Yoruba dynasty in Nigeria has exposed many monarchs who are allegedly contributing to the rots in the system and Nigeria culture.

She said: “is it that Iru Community in Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State does not have capable daughters who could occupy the position or take the title of Iyalaje of Iru that made a Yoruba King, Oba Omogbolahan Wasiu Lawal, the Oniru of Iru to install a Chinese Woman as the Ilaje or what?

“Why would Kabiyesi gain by desecrating the sacred stool that predates him to have assigned a sacred traditional title of Iyalaje to Ms Diana Chen, a Chinese Woman in a Yoruba community?”

“We are not all unmindful of how Chinese are gradually taking over our economy and enslaving our youths for peanuts. It is now clear our heritage is next after selling our economy to China.” Erelu lamented.

“I demand to know why the monarch left his subjects to confer a sacred traditional title on a foreigner, ” she further stressed.

She called on Kabiyesi Omogbolahan to revoke such a title from the Chinese woman to save Yoruba tradition and culture, noting that such pecuniary drive of awarding chieftaincy titles to every Dick and Harry by Traditional Rulers make them lose respect and the values of their ancestral thrones.

She, therefore, enjoined all Traditional Rulers in Yoruba to refrain from bringing shame and dishonour to the house of Oduduwa all in the name of money which according to her could bastardise the traditional institution in Nigeria.