Legacy vs. Change: The Controversy Over Renaming Charly Boy Bus Stop
A Name that Stirred a City
In a move that has sparked passionate reactions across Lagos, the Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA) decided to rename the legendary “Charly Boy Bus Stop” in honor of popular Afrobeats artist, Olamide Adedeji, famously known as Olamide Baddo. The decision, announced by Kolade David, the outgoing chairman of the LCDA, was part of a broader effort to celebrate individuals who have proudly represented Bariga on the international stage.
The Response: Charly Boy Speaks Out
Charly Boy, a renowned performer and social agitator, wasted no time in expressing his opposition. To him, this decision doesn’t merely reflect a change in signage but attempts to diminish his legacy of activism that has impacted generations. In a passionate declaration on his official X (previously Twitter) profile, Charly Boy said, “You can rename a place, but you can’t rename a legacy.”
Historical Ties to Bariga
Renaming streets and locations in Bariga seems to have become a significant focus of the LCDA, with several streets receiving new identities to honor modern icons such as footballer Bukayo Saka and legendary musician King Sunny Ade. The aim is to weave contemporary breakthroughs into the locality’s cultural fabric. However, Charly Boy points out that the bond between the people and these spaces transcends mere names on signboards, highlighting a deep collective relationship built over years.
Names, Legacy, and Enduring Influence
For Charly Boy, the renaming goes beyond aesthetic revisions of public space; it’s about controlling narratives. “They may change the signboard. They may pretend not to remember,” he insists, alluding to a persistent legacy that thrives not through institutional recognition, but through genuine public memory and the lives altered by his advocacy.
An Immortal Legacy
The impassioned declaration made by Charly Boy emphasizes that true legacies are not housed in physical embodiments but in hearts moved and awakened to injustices. Despite the renaming, the spirit of dissent and advocacy that Charly Boy symbolizes remains woven into the city’s social fabric. “Area Fada no dey finish,” he concludes, marking a closing statement that reverberates through every corner of Lagos, reminding all of an indelible legacy that refuses to be erased.
According to Ripples Nigeria, this renaming is viewed as both a commemoration and a debate over the essence of legacy amidst societal change, forever questioning the power residing in names versus enduring impact.
