By Olutunbosun Osifowora
The recent change of name by the Bariga LCDA Chair of what used to be known as Charly Boy Bus Stop to the new name Olamide Baddo has elicited all kinds of reactions from different quarters
By way of little legal education, it is necessary to note that the bye-laws that govern local government allow street renaming, ditto for bus stops, and other places within the local government, as long as the conditions prescribed in the laws are met by the local government. The law also preacibes a window for reversion if proper arguments are canvassed for the retention of the old name.
This change of name has been greeted by serious tribal sentiment from our oriental brothers that Lagos is trying to punish them for their earlier gaffe that “Lagos is no man’s land” so as a result, the change of name is purely bigotry and skewed against igbos- Charly Boy’s tribe.
As a result of the above, Charly Boy’s apologists have gone to town with the rhetoric that regardless of the name change, conductors won’t acquiesce in the name change to the bus stop and may not likely stop for passengers to alight if they dont mention the old name of the bus stop.
Equally, those who are not fans of Charly Boy have questioned if the bus stop was actually initially registered against his name or if it was just a case of him forcefully claiming the bus stop because of proximity to his former apartment which overlooked the bus stop. Some even reignited the court case that took years to get Charly Boy out of the apartment, when he didn’t pay his rent for years, which saw his landlady die in the process. These, amongst many other negative brands, made them feel that the name change was necessary, and the old man cross-dresser can take a dive if he is not pleased with the decision, afterall the third mainland bridge is just a stone throw anyway.
Assuredly, the septugenarian has taken a swipe at the state (as his usual manner) and referred to the authorities as “mumu”- a derogatory expression, to show his disdain for the change of name which he claimed took nothing out of him, yet one wonders why same has taken many derogatory tweets to convey his anger.
Charly Boy has been equally advised by apologists of the state to go and get a street named after him in his native Imo State if he is crazy about imortalization. There have been arguments and counter arguments for and against the name change of the bus stop. Some claim that it will soon fade, and people will unconsciously revert to the old name (thereby giving the seventy-five year old man some succor).
I recall a famous bus stop by “R” Close in Festac Town, which is popularly called “Akindec”- a dry cleaning service company, which has been out of service for about three decades. The bus stop is still popularly called AKINDEC, despite it being by the headquarters of a Redeemed Church- which tried in vain to claim the bus stop.
In a nutshell, Charly Boy may take solace in the fact stated above that the commuters will forever refer to the bus stop after his name, as it used to be. But truth be told, Charly Boy may be in for the shocker of his life (even after his demise) that the new name of the bus stop Olamide Bado may overshadow his, just like Olamide Bado’s musical career made us forget that Charly Boy once sang in the same musical space where Olamide Bado now reigns supreme.
For all you care, the new bus stop Olamide Baddo may just have ushered in the demise of what used to be known as Charly Boy bus stop, and like his musical career is extinct, so would likely be the old name of the bus stop. Some anytime a conducted shouts, “Charly Boy Bus stop, showa?”
You can expect to hear, “Kosi”!- meaning it doesn’t exist any longer.
Olutunbosun Osifowora writes from Ijebu-Ife