“Even me at 50, I can’t call Tony Elumelu ‘Tony’” – Daddy Freeze reacts to viral UBA graduate saga

Media personality Daddy Freeze has reacted to the viral saga involving a UBA graduate who addressed the bank chairman, Tony Elumelu, by his first name during a conference.

Taking to his Instagram page, Daddy Freeze criticised the woman’s decision to call the businessman “Tony,” arguing that Elumelu’s age and position should have influenced how she addressed him.

“How do you look at 63-year-old Tony Elumelu and say, Tony? Gen-Z una no really get too much sense like that oo. I’m not embarrassed for the girl. I’m embarrassed for her parents,” he said.

Daddy Freeze, who said he is 50 years old, explained that he would also not address Elumelu by his first name because the businessman is 13 years older than him.

He further pointed out that Elumelu was not the woman’s junior but her boss and also significantly older than her. According to him, the situation should therefore be viewed differently from a casual interaction between people of similar age.

“Even me, at 50, I cannot call Tony Elumelu that is 63, Tony. Because he’s 13 years older than me. If you were five years older than me, I can call him Tony. But person wey you don meet for secondary school no be your mate,” he added.

The OAP also addressed what he described as the influence of “wokism” on the younger generation, arguing that it has contributed to a decline in traditional respect for age.

He recalled an experience where a younger person addressed him casually and said he was grateful for financial stability because it allowed him to reject what he considered disrespectful behaviour.

The comments have generated reactions online, with some netizens agreeing with Freeze’s position on respect, while others argued that addressing someone by his first name is not necessarily disrespectful.

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