Charles Oputa, the activist popularly known as Charly Boy, says he’s unbothered over the renaming of a bus stop initially dedicated in his honour by the Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
Read more: Charly Boy: Why the bus stop in Bariga was named after meThe veteran singer also revealed how the Charly Boy Bus Stop in Gbagada community came to bear his name.
The bus stop was recently renamed Baddo Bus Stop after popular rapper Olamide Adedeji.
The decision was part of a broader renaming exercise announced by Kolade David, the immediate past chairman of Bariga LCDA, on Friday.
The initiative aimed to honour Nigerian celebrities and notable personalities including legendary musician King Sunny Ade, singer 9ice, artiste Tony Tetuila, and Arsenal footballer Bukayo Saka for their global impact and contributions to national development.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Tuesday, Charly Boy revealed that the bus stop was named after him in the early 1990s in recognition of his contributions to the Gbagada community where he once resided.
Once upon a time, I used to live at the bus stop and because the people who were in Gbagada at that time felt that it was the right thing to do (to name a bus stop after me) because honestly I do contribute to that community, both military, pensioners, Okada riders and any young persons, I gave scholarships out and all other things, he said.
I don’t like to talk about all that I have done, but you know I tried for my community while I was there.
I think it was what I have done to people in the past, and they decided to name it (the bustop) after me, and that’s a cool idea. That’s how it all started.
They named the bus stop after me around 1991 or 1992, after my song in 1990, which was a hit back in the day.
He said he’s not bothered by the renaming, adding that his focus remains on Nigeria’s political future rather than symbolic recognitions.
It does not matter. Anybody who has done something for his community should take the shine. It does not really matter to me, he added.
I’m indifferent, that is not our priority right now. There should be something more important to all of us, which is to make sure that come 2027, that is where I see all the indicators, that our votes should count. Period!
Charly Boy earlier claimed authorities were intimidated by his decades-long resistance against oppression.