*Fear Drove Them To Do It, He Claims
Multimillionaire entertainer Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has reacted to the Lagos State government’s decision to rename the popular Charly Boy Bus Stop in Bariga to Olamide Baddo Bus Stop, in honour of rapper and Bariga native, Olamide Adedeji.
Reacting, Charly Boy in a post via his X handle on Saturday, July 26, said despite renaming the bus stop, his legacy can’t be erased.
“Dem say dey don chang the name of Charly Boy Bus Stop.
Hmmm. Very interesting.
But let me remind you of something simple:
You can rename a place… but you can’t rename a legacy.
You can replace the signboard… but you can’t erase the spirit.
And you definitely can’t silence a voice that shook your tables for decades!
This is not just about a bus stop.
This is about fear.
Fear of a boy who refused to bow.
Fear of a man who challenged the oppressors.
Fear of a man who didn’t beg the system to be accepted.
what do timid people do?
They change the name like e go wash away their shame.
Bariga, Gbagada, the entire Lagos knows the truth.
That name Charly Boy Bus Stop was not given by politicians.
It was named by the people the same people Fada fought for, walked with, and empowered.
They may change the signboard.
They may pretend not to remember.
But let me remind them Area Fada no dey Finish.
He didn’t need to sing sweet songs to be accepted.
He didn’t need to wear agbada to beg for titles.
He’s a movement. He’s an institution. He’s a warning.
So to all the small minds and timid hearts
You may change the name…
But you will NEVER kill the legacy.
This name Charly Boy is carved into the history of Nigeria,
Written boldly in the streets of Bariga,
Etched into the minds of those who still dare to question authority.
Legacy isn’t on a signboard.
It’s in the hearts you changed, the voices you awakened, and the fear you planted in corrupt souls.
So go ahead, change the name.
But remember
You can’t change the truth. You can’t erase fire. Area Fada no dey finish.
Still here.
Still standing.
Still fighting.
His legacy?
Will outlive yaall.”
The renaming is part of a broader initiative by the Lagos government to change the names of some roads and landmarks in the state to honour notable Nigerians, particularly from the entertainment and sports industries.
Other locations in Bariga that have been renamed include Ilaje Road, now King Sunny Ade Road, honoring the Juju music legend; Bariga Road, now Bola Ahmed Tinubu Way, recognising the Nigerian President and former Lagos Governor; and Community Road, Akoka, now Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu Road, for the current Lagos Governor.
