Veteran entertainer Charles Oputa, widely known as Charly Boy, has broken his silence following the Lagos State Government’s decision to rename the well-known Charly Boy Bus Stop in Bariga after indigenous rap icon and Bariga native, Olamide Adedeji, famously known as Olamide Baddo.
When contacted for comments, Charly Boy offered a brief but pointed reaction: “Na dem sabi.”
The renaming was part of a wider unveiling of newly commissioned infrastructure projects in the Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA) on Friday. The outgoing LCDA Chairman, Kolade David Alabi, made the announcement during his final days in office.
In addition to renaming the Charly Boy Bus Stop to Baddo Bus Stop, the local council also honoured several prominent Nigerians in the entertainment and sports sectors by naming streets and roads after them.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the newly renamed locations in Bariga:
- Ilaje Road now bears the name King Sunny Ade Road, in tribute to the legendary Juju musician.
- Bariga Road has been changed to Bola Ahmed Tinubu Way, acknowledging the current President and former Lagos State Governor.
- Community Road, Akoka is now known as Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu Road, after the incumbent Lagos State Governor.
- Ajidagan Street was officially renamed Olamide Adedeji (Baddo) Street, solidifying Olamide’s legacy in his home community.
- Ifeanyi Street has been updated to Abolore Akande (9ice) Street, in honour of the “Gongo Aso” crooner.
- Ayodele Street in Ladi-Lak now carries the name Tony Tetuila Street, paying homage to the Afro-pop veteran.
- Ilojo Crescent, Obanikoro has been renamed Bukayo Saka Street, celebrating the England and Arsenal footballer of Nigerian descent.
The renaming initiative has sparked a wave of mixed reactions across social media platforms.
A user on X, simply identified as Ola, questioned the accuracy of the renaming, stating: “If the person behind this decision really grew up in Bariga, they’d know the place is called Second Pedro Bus Stop, not Charly Boy Bus Stop. This looks like political sentiment rewriting our shared history.”
Another user, Akin Omo Akin, claimed: “No one officially named it Charly Boy Bus Stop. He named it himself without government approval.”
On a contrasting note, OG Beeperl added a sharper take: “Baddo is clearly greater than Charly and his entire lineage anyway.”
The controversy has highlighted the growing tension between political decisions and cultural memory, with some critics accusing the state government of allowing personal or political bias to influence community landmarks.