Shaffy Bello, a Nollywood actress, shared her thoughts on a viral exchange between UBA Chairman Tony Elumelu and a young woman who addressed him as “Tony” at a recent event.
The actress stated that she dislikes being referred to as Shaffy by people who are older than her.
She argued that younger people should use titles when referring to their elders.
The veteran reportedly discussed her personal experiences on a recent podcast.
“When a child calls me by my name, Shaffy, I pull them closer and tell them, ‘You haven’t earned the right, and you never will,'” she explained.
The actress explained that having children of similar ages to those addressing her makes the practice especially uncomfortable for her.
“I have a child as old as you are, and even if I don’t have children, you have not earned, and will never earn, the right to call me by name at your age,” she said.
She asked, “What happened to Ma’am?” and expressed irritation with the casual greeting “Hi.”
“There is even something about this ‘Hello.’ “I can’t stand it,” Bello admitted.
She attributed some of the differences in how people treat older adults to upbringing and culture, citing practices in various parts of Nigeria and the United States.
According to Bello, even children in the United States use respectful titles when addressing elderly people.
“Even children in the U.S. call me ‘Ma,'” she said, highlighting the importance of respecting elders.
