Media personality Daddy Freeze has weighed in on the viral controversy involving a UBA graduate who addressed United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, simply as “Tony” during an interactive session at the bank’s Graduate Management Accelerated Programme (GMAP) graduation ceremony.
Key Highlights
Daddy Freeze criticised the graduate for addressing Tony Elumelu by his first name.
Freeze cited Elumelu’s age, position and status as reasons for showing greater deference.
He said he would not address the 63-year-old businessman as “Tony” despite being 50.
Freeze also questioned changing attitudes towards traditional respect for elders.
His comments have triggered mixed reactions on social media.
Taking to his official Instagram page, Freeze argued that the graduate should have considered Elumelu’s age and position when addressing him.
According to the media personality, even at 50, he would not address the 63-year-old businessman by his first name because of the 13-year age difference between them.
“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,” Freeze said.
Daddy Freeze Explains His Position
Freeze said the situation was different from casually addressing someone of a similar age, stressing that Elumelu was not only older but also occupied a senior position in the organisation.
“Even me, at 50, I cannot call Tony Elumelu that is 63, Tony. Because he’s 13 years older than me,” he said.
He added that age should remain an important consideration when deciding how to address older people.
The broadcaster also criticised what he described as the growing influence of “wokism” among younger people, arguing that changing social attitudes have affected traditional notions of respect for elders.
Nigerians Debate Tony Elumelu Controversy
Freeze’s comments have added another dimension to the debate surrounding the incident involving the UBA graduate and Elumelu.
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The original exchange occurred during the GMAP graduation ceremony, where Elumelu corrected the graduate after she addressed him as “Tony.”
He told her to address him as “Mr Elumelu” or “TOE.”
The incident subsequently generated widespread discussion about workplace etiquette, age, hierarchy and changing attitudes towards professional relationships.
While some Nigerians have supported Freeze’s position that age and hierarchy should influence how people address senior figures, others have argued that using a person’s first name is not necessarily disrespectful, particularly in modern professional environments.
The debate continues to highlight differing views between traditional expectations of respect and contemporary workplace culture.
