Tracy Chapele: Woman break '100 years' record to collect chieftaincy title dem dey only give man for Udu Kingdom

"Dis tradition wey I break na by di grace of God." Na so Tracy Chapele, aka Suo tell BBC Pidgin.

Chapele bin dey tok about di record and tradition of her pipo for di past one hundred years, wia women for Udu Kingdom for Urhobo land for Delta state Nigeria neva collect chieftaincy title.

Di woman wey her tori trend for social media tok say: "For Urhobo Kingdom, if your papa get one of di major chieftaincy title, dem no dey usually pass or transfer dat title to girl pikin sake of say children plenti and boys plenti too wey wan take am, so dem no dey reason go girls side sef, and wen e be say nobody wan take am dem go pass am go anoda family"

She narrate say afta her papa die and dem bury am for October 2020, dem call family meeting come dey ask who go cari di title, but her brodas dem no want di title.

"As my brodas say dem no wan and dem no wan dey involved, wen e come be like say di tin wan pass our family, I come decide to cari am all of dem come support me"

"Wen we start di process we no even know say we dey break tradition, our papa na 'Okugbe' peace keeper, na respected man for community, pipo contribute money to bury our papa becos of di kind of man wey im be, as I see how pipo rally round to support us for my papa burial di tin touch me.

Na me go meet some chiefs wey be culture custodians, historians, I tok to our King and Queen too and dem welcome am too, dem say if I dey strong to cari am dem go screen me and if I pass dem go give me di title, afta all no be bad tin, even though I young e good make young pipo dey take title too." She tok.

Wetin be di title

She narrate say her papa title na 'Okugbe' 1 of Udu kingdom for Urhobo land, e mean say na you be di Unifier.

"Di title signify Unity, peacemaker, so I no go dey quarrel upandan again, na me go dey settle quarrel now."

"Dis title cari privileges o, na our version of Honourable. I go dey siddon for di place wey dem go dey discuss our cultural tins. Dem don already tell me say na big office I hold, so I be 'Okugbe 2, dis one mean say I still be unifier and peace keeper."

Chief Chapele tell BBC Pidgin say sports dey boom for south-south wey she come from, especially Delta State and she wan use dis title promote sports wey be one of di unifying factors for di world.

"If you look Delta State, you go see say plenty record breakers dey dia, dis title no be goment, na personal title so I go use am promote sports wey be di work I dey do.

Requirements for di title

Tracy wey be sports journalist tok about di screening process.

"We no kill goat we no kill fowl for any sacrifice. First, dem screen you as a character, pipo dey wey go investigate you, check wetin you don do over di years, di kain person you be, afta dat one, di council of elders and notable chiefs go come tok out for di mata, your pesin, di kain business or work you dey do, weda you get care for community or pipo, just to dey sure say you be human being wey get respect for pipo."

"Dem ask me questions o, afta I clear di questions, I cari drinks go and meet di pipo dem wey I suppose meet." She tok.

Who be Tracy Chapele

Tracy Chapele na di daughter of late Chief Oletu Chapele di Okugbe of Udu Kingdom.

She get Bachelor's Degree for English and Literature and certifications for Creative Writing, Digital Sports media, Journalism and odas.

She be Sports Journalist wey dey do morning show with Wazobia FM for Lagos. She be di 16th pikin out of 19 children wey be 11 boys and 8 girls her papa born and she be di 5th girl.

Tracy na 33 years and a mother of one.

She dey present sports programme too for Super Sports.

She dey encourage oda women to support younger ones too and to achieve dia dreams.