What I Do When A Child Calls Me By Name – Shaffy Bello

Nollywood actress Shaffy Bello has shared her thoughts on the viral exchange between UBA Chairman Tony Elumelu and a young woman who addressed him as “Tony” during a recent event.

The thespian submitted that she does not appreciate being referred to as Shaffy by people she is older than.

She argued that it is only fair for younger people to use titles when referring to their elders.

Naija News reports that the veteran spoke about her own experiences in 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 said.

The actress explained that having children around the same age as those addressing her makes the practice particularly uncomfortable for her.

“I have a child as old as you are, and even if I do not have children, you have not earned the right, and you will never earn the right at your age to call me by name,” she added.

“Whatever happened to Ma’am?” she asked, noting that she finds the casual greeting “Hi” equally irritating.

“There is even something about this ‘Hi’; I can’t stand it,” Bello said.

She attributed some of the differences in how people address older adults to upbringing and culture, pointing to practices in different parts of Nigeria and the United States.

According to Bello, even children in the United States use respectful titles when addressing older people.

“Even children in the U.S. call me ‘Ma,’” she said, stressing that respect for elders remains important to her.