An old video of actress Shaffy Bello discussing respect and how younger people address elders has resurfaced online amid debate over a viral exchange between UBA Chairman Tony Elumelu and a young woman who called him ‘Tony’.
In the clip from a past podcast, Bello said she does not appreciate being called ‘Shaffy’ by people younger than her.
‘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 who address her casually makes it particularly uncomfortable.
‘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.
Bello also questioned the use of casual greetings.
‘Whatever happened to Ma’am?’ she asked. ‘There is even something about this ‘Hi’; I can’t stand it.’
She attributed differences in address to upbringing and culture, noting that even children in the United States use respectful titles.
‘Even children in the U.S. call me ‘Ma,” she said, stressing that respect for elders remains important to her.
The video has gone viral again following the Elumelu clip, with many Nigerians debating generational etiquette and respect.