” A fruit, as they say, does not fall far from its tree. And when we develop the habit, and savour the taste, of throwing ourselves into a fray, we run the risk of becoming what a judge once described as busybody and meddlesome interloper!”
The raging controversy over the naming or renaming of some bus stops in Lagos is, in my view, a non-starter. There are many more serious matters to engage our attention than the ordinary naming or renaming of bus stops – of all places! How does that put food on anyone’s table? How does it affect the price of a litre of fuel or help firm up the Naira against foreign currencies? How does it bring down the soaring cost of foodstuffs and medicaments or crash PHCH tariff and their Band A nonsense? The controversy is, at best, diversionary and elite conspiracy to give the suffering masses something to talk about and kill themselves over!
That said, let us look at the merits and demerits of the issue in contention, especially as it affects the erstwhile Charly boy bus stop. The first commentator to consider is the foremost lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana, SAN. An abridged version of his views as reported by a news medium runs thus:
“Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has condemned the recent renaming of streets and bus stops in Lagos State, describing the actions as unconstitutional, illegal, and authoritarian… He cited specific cases, including the controversial renaming of the iconic ‘Charly Boy Bus Stop’ to ‘Baddo Bus Stop’ by the former chairman of Bariga Local Council Development Area, Kolade Alabi…”
Falana was quoted as saying: “It is pertinent to point out, without any fear of contradiction, that the naming of roads and streets, and numbering of houses in any part of Nigeria is one of the exclusive functions of Local Governments outlined in the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended…”
Falana added: “We have confirmed that the Charly Boy Bus Stop was not named by the authorities of the Bariga Local Council Development Area but by the people of Bariga and Gbagada communities. Notwithstanding that fact, it should be adequately appreciated that the Charly Boy Bus Stop acquired its name sociologically due to its functionality and the positive impact which Charly Boy has historically made in the area. Renaming it without consulting the Bariga and Gbagada people smacks of authoritarianism…”
The second commentator, a lady, said “Charlie Boy does not deserve a bus stop in Lagos.” Hear her: “My name is Mrs. Ebunola Adebusoye. I am the Deputy Women Leader of Indigenous Lagos Teachers Association. I write this in my personal capacity…First of all, I thank the chairman (of Bariga LCDA) for living up to the expectations of the people of Gbagada where Charles Oputa, alias Charly Boy, also referred to as “Area Father”, lived and tormented the residents for many years. As a Lagos indigene and from a royal home, we are proud of what the chairman did. At 65 and as a retired school teacher, I have a sense of what morality means. Having a bus stop with the name Charly Boy is an attempt to glorify immorality of the highest order.
“Firstly, ‘Area Father’ never had a bus stop allocated to him at Gbagada. When he moved here many years ago, the first thing he did was to pull down the existing bus stop signpost, which was ‘Second Pedro’, named after a prominent Lagos family that had put in sweat and blood to the growth, fame and rise of Lagos. Charly Boy was never officially allocated any bus stop. That is the truth. Calling the place Charly Boy was his own creation.
“Secondly, Charly boy lived in this area as a little beast. He tormented the residents, and turned the place into a jungle… I lived close to him for about five years. Myself and my husband had to relocate to Ikorodu because of this nuisance. He was an extremely bad influence on youths and the core values of the Yoruba Nation… These actions, if taken in any civilised world, would have been challenged by the relevant authorities and Charly Boy would have been sent to jail.
“He was contemptuous of the Yoruba people whom he derided and insulted so often. He had no respect for the traditions and values of his hosts… His landlady, a Yoruba woman, died of hypertension. Charly Boy converted the rented apartment into a studio that his wife managed. He pulled down the fence and converted the building to his own shape. He would insult and harass the woman, playing music all day and all night. The woman died!
“People who support Charly Boy bus stop should tell us what single contribution Charly Boy made to Lagos or to the people of Gbagada. Monuments should be named after heroes, not hooligans and common criminals…”
Mrs. Adebusoye reserved very harsh words for one Omoyele Sowore and anyone supporting Charly Boy bus stop: “ … I do not know of any ethnic group in the world that would allow her values and heritage to be trampled and turned into sputum, and all the people would do is watch! Some irresponsible Yoruba people claim (that) Lagos belongs to everyone. That is an insult and an assault on (those of) us whose ancestors own the land…”
Let us now listen to the testimony of someone who claims to be the daughter of Charly Boy’s alleged landlady: “The house Charly Boy rented that made him name the bus stop after himself was my mum’s, a retired civil servant. It was rented by his father, the late Justice (Chukwudifu) Oputa, who came with my father’s cousin, Justice (Kayode) Eso, to rent the house on behalf of his son (who was) coming from the US…He lived there for 16 years (but) paid rent for only four – the first three years and the seventh year when she (my mum) threatened to bring the case to the Justice Oputa truth and reconciliation commission. Justice Oputa paid it (the seventh year payment), promising more that never came. They (Charly Boy and my mum) were in court for many years, She (my mum) got a judgment but the bailiffs refused to execute due to fear. No police would assist as well. It was a nightmare for her (my mum) until God Himself removed him (Charly Boy)…Suffice to say he never paid a dime extra and practically destroyed the house…”
From what Falana, the learned silk, said, which he backed up with legal authorities, it is the local government that has the powers to name streets and bus stops, not individuals – be it “sociologically”, “functionalically”, “historically” or whatever! And not Charly Boy either! From the available evidence, the bus stop in question was NEVER at any time named after Charly Boy by the appropriate authorities. Usage cannot supersede the lawful powers of local governments to name and/or rename streets and designate bus stops. If anyone is entitled to complain about the renaming of that bus stop, it is not Charly Boy but the Pedro family that the bus stop was originally named after.
How did anyone know that the people of Gbagada and Bariga were not consulted before the renaming? Did they conduct a referendum or an opinion poll that turned out negative? In the absence of that, how can we say that the people did not support the renaming? Was such support even the imperative of the law? And has there been protests and a breakdown of law and order over the renaming? Mrs. Adebusoye gave us an idea that the people of the area support and whaao the renaming, as they say.
And sentiments apart, x-raying the personality of both Charles Oputa aka Charly Boy and Olamide Gbenga Adedeji aka Baddo, “Baddo bus stop” towers head and shoulders above “Charly Boy bus stop”.
Besides, any idolisation of Charly Boy or his so-called “positive impact” in Bariga and Gbagada flies in the face of the two authoritative eye witness accounts and characterisation of the same Charly Boy printed above. And, except we deceive ourselves and the unwary public, we all know Charly Boy; don’t we?
A fruit, as they say, does not fall far from its tree. And when we develop the habit, and savour the taste, of throwing ourselves into every fray, we run the risk of becoming what a judge once described as busybody and meddlesome interloper!
Ondo State: Let there be an end to litigation
The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, the Ondo state capital, has given its nod to Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa as the duly-elected governor of my dearly beloved Ondo State aka the “Sunshine State”, in the governorship election held statewide on Saturday, November 16, 2024. The petitioners were the PDP, SDP, Action Alliance, Allied Peoples Movement, and the African Democratic Congress. They have now lost twice; first at the tribunal and lately at the appellate court. I counsel an end to litigation!
Here, winning against an incumbent is an uphill task; not many have successfully climbed the mountain, leading, in my view, to a needless waste of time, energy, and resources. Better if we devote our energies into ensuring that our elections are free and fair; so that we can have credible elections devoid of acrimony, bitterness, and long-winding legal tussles that, in the final analysis, often produce little or no respite.
Let the losers take a rest and then re-strategise. Fortunately, Gov. Aiyedatiwa has only this term to serve and another election will soon be around the corner. For now, let all hands be on deck and let all efforts be geared toward the 50th anniversary celebration of the creation of our dear state, which comes up in February 2026. UP SUNSHINE STATE!
* Former editor of PUNCH newspapers, Chairman of its Editorial Board and Deputy Editor-in-chief, BOLAWOLE was also the Managing Director/Editor-in-chief of The Westerner news magazine. He writes the ON THE LORD’S DAY column in the Sunday Tribune and TREASURES column in New Telegraph newspaper on Wednesdays. He is also a public affairs analyst on radio and television.