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Call Me Chairman, Not Tony!’: Elumelu’s Blunt Correction of Trainee Splits Internet as Old Video Sparks Double Standard Fury

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3 months ago

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

A seemingly brief exchange between United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, and a female graduate trainee has erupted into a nationwide conversation about cultural values, corporate etiquette, and the politics of address, after a video of the interaction went viral on social media.

The incident occurred on Thursday, August 20, 2026, during an interactive session at the graduation ceremony for UBA’s Graduate Management Accelerated Programme (GMAP) in Lagos. In the now-viral clip, the trainee began her question by greeting the billionaire businessman with a casual, “Good morning, Tony.”

Mr. Elumelu, who was serving as a mentor at the event, promptly and firmly corrected her. According to multiple reports, he told her: “No, you won’t call me Tony. You call me Mr. Elumelu, or TOE, or Chairman.” He further justified his stance, explaining that he does not subscribe to what he termed the casual, Western-style familiarity in professional settings. “I don’t subscribe to that kind of Oyinbo life, okay!” he added.

The exchange has since polarized the Nigerian public, sparking a fierce debate on social media.

One faction of netizens has rallied behind Mr. Elumelu, arguing that the trainee’s address was a clear sign of disrespect, given his status as the chairman of a major financial institution and his seniority in age. Commentators argued that in a formal setting, the use of a title is a basic sign of respect. One social media user remarked, “Common sense should make you understand that at that moment, you are not talking to your friend, but what he is, a chairman or boss, or at least an adult that is obviously older than you.”

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Conversely, a second group has come to the trainee’s defense. They argue that modern corporate culture, even within Nigerian banks, often encourages a first-name basis to foster a more egalitarian and open work environment. A former UBA staff member, Innocent Istifanus Moses, confirmed that GMAP graduates are typically taught to address colleagues, including senior executives, by their first names. In his view, the trainee’s mistake was not irredeemable, and he advised her to issue a brief, sincere apology. “Mistake–briefly acknowledge–correct it– move on confidently,” wrote one observer.

Accusations of Double Standard Emerge

The debate took a sharper turn when an old video resurfaced online, showing Mr. Elumelu in a 2022 interview with Chisom Obi-Okoye, an MBA student at Stanford Graduate School of Business in the United States. In that footage, the student interviewer addressed him as “Hi Tony” multiple times without any objection or correction from the businessman.

This discovery has led to widespread accusations of a double standard. Critics argue that Mr. Elumelu is willing to accept the casual, “Oyinbo” culture he decried when it suits him in an international setting but enforces a rigid traditional hierarchy at home. One Facebook user, Awuzie Frankline, questioned the inconsistency, stating, “Respect should be consistent not dependent on someone’s status, location or social class.”

Defense: ‘When in Rome, Behave Like The Romans’

In defense of the UBA Chairman, supporters have argued that there is no contradiction, as the two situations occurred in vastly different cultural contexts. They contend that Mr. Elumelu was simply adapting to the norms of his environment—behaving like the Romans while in Rome, as it were. In a formal corporate setting in Nigeria, they argue, it is appropriate to demand the traditional respect that is due to one’s elders and superiors. As one commentator put it, the issue is about “the need to adjust to culture and nuance as they come.”

Beyond the immediate controversy, the incident has opened a wider conversation about generational differences, the clash between traditional African values and Western corporate norms, and the importance of navigating social cues in professional environments.

Jide Akintunde, a social commentator, expressed surprise at Mr. Elumelu’s objection, noting that his first name has been central to his public and industry branding for years. He suggested that the public correction, while perhaps justified, could have been handled privately to avoid humiliating the young trainee.

As of Friday, the young woman at the center of the storm has not made a public statement. The video, however, continues to trend, serving as a potent reminder of the intricate and often unspoken rules that govern professional and social interactions in Nigeria.

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ADC Accuses Kaduna Govt of Sealing Arewa House to Block Atiku’s Northern Stakeholders’ Meeting

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45 minutes ago

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November 12, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised the alarm over the closure of Arewa House, which was set to host a meeting of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, with Northern stakeholders.

In a statement on Wednesday, Phrank Shaibu, spokesperson for the ADC presidential campaign council, said, “My campaign team had proposed Arewa House as the venue for our consultation with stakeholders on Thursday and, today, the APC government decided to seal the building.”

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But the ADC said, “We will not be intimidated,” condemning the sealing off.

The statement described the move as “a troubling pattern”.

“During our campaign flag-off in Sokoto, the APC government also tried to frustrate us. The people stood firm, and their will prevailed. Now, as Atiku prepares to consult stakeholders at Arewa House, the venue has been sealed”.

“We hold President Bola Tinubu and the APC politically responsible for this pattern of obstruction. An outgoing president and a ruling party should respect democratic competition, not use public authority to impede the opposition, restrict political consultation or weaken Nigerians’ right to choose,” the statement said.

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NASWDEN backs FG’s move to license, regulate scrap business, raises alarm over attack on members

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1 day ago

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November 10, 2026

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The National President, National Association of Scrap and Waste Dealers Employers of Nigeria (NASWDEN), Alhaji Fatai Ogunwale, has expressed the support of the association for the Federal Government’s Proposed licencing and regulations of Scrap business.

A statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by its National President, Alhaji Fatai Ogunwale, on Tuesday, stated that the move was also to curb theft and vandalism in the country.Read Daily News

In a Two-Day stakeholders meeting in Lagos, the Federal Government under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Steel Development, had moved to regulate Scrap industry business and operation in Nigeria.

The theme of the event is “Validation of the proposed Scrap metal Collection, Trading, Recycling and Regulations 2026”.

According to the President of the association, the move was targeted at those who engaged themselves in illegally stealing of metals and vandalism of critical infrastructure including electricity cables, railways components and manhole covers amongst others.

He expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for the initiative and warned against double taxation scrap metal dealers carrying scraps to end users or rolling mills across the country.

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Ogunwale also called on the Federal Government to eradicate touts on our expressways who harrass NASWDEN members ,extort them while going about thier legitimate scrap business.

The President also informed stakeholders that NASWDEN had earlier launched anti Vandalism and currently working with security agencies to protect critical national infrastructure and the nation’s assets.

According to him, the move also involved the issuing of loading inspection confirmation clearance papers to members to check theft and vandalism by criminals parading themselves as scrap dealers.

In his remarks, the Minister of Steel Development, Shuiabu Audu, stated that the framework would establish an organised transparent scrap metal value chain in the country.

The Minister was represented by the Director of Metallurgical Raw Metal Development and Investment Promotion in the ministry, Mr Ime Eprikpo.

“The proposed Scrap metal collection, trading, recycling and regulations 2026, are also expected to improve the supply of the locally sourced raw materials to steal manufacturing companies.

As well as to formalise the activities of scrap dealers and strengthen environment and occupational safety standards, ”he added

I’m his remarks, the Deputy National President of NASWDEN, Comrade Aminu Hassan Soja called on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency, tackle the issue of alleged attacks on its members by one Uche Ogbu Luke.

According to Soja, Luke is an impostor who allegedly uses armed thugs to intimidate and extort scrap dealers along highways across the South-East and South-South regions of the country.

” We call on the federal government tomurgently intervene and put an end to the activities of one Uche Ogbu Luke, whom he describes as an impostor allegedly using armed thugs to intimidate and extort scrap dealers along highways across the South-East and South-South regions of the country,” he alleged.

He urged the relevant security agencies to “investigate the allegations, apprehend those involved and protect innocent scrap dealers from harassment, intimidation and unlawful extortion”.

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ASUU Declares Strike at Zamfara State University

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1 day ago

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November 10, 2026

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Zamfara State University branch, has declared an indefinite strike over what it described as the failure of the university management and relevant authorities to address its longstanding demands concerning staff welfare, salaries, promotions and working conditions.

The branch chairman, Comrade Anas Abubakar Dogo, announced the decision in a statement, explaining that the industrial action would commence at midnight on November 11, 2026.

Dogo said the decision followed the expiration of an initial two-week ultimatum issued to the university management, which was subsequently extended by another three weeks, bringing the total period of the ultimatum to five weeks.

According to him, the union had also embarked on a one-week warning strike in an effort to compel the authorities to address its grievances, but the failure to resolve the outstanding issues had left the branch with no option but to proceed with an indefinite strike.

The ASUU chairman listed several challenges confronting the university, including the absence of official student accommodation, inadequate staff housing, poor remuneration and the non-implementation of the Federal Government-ASUU agreement.

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He lamented that students of the institution had no official university hostel, while members of staff were also without adequate accommodation, describing the situation as a major challenge to the effective administration and development of the university.

Dogo further accused the university authorities of failing to implement the Federal Government-ASUU agreement in its entirety, including the payment of outstanding arrears owed to academic staff.

The union also expressed dissatisfaction over the non-payment of promotion arrears, noting that the failure to implement staff promotions and their accompanying financial benefits had continued to undermine the morale of lecturers.

On staffing, the ASUU chairman raised concerns over the shortage of academic personnel, disclosing that some departments had only one tenured academic staff member, while others had none.

He warned that the situation was affecting the university’s academic capacity and could undermine the quality of teaching, research and other academic activities.

The union also described Zamfara State University as a training ground for academic staff, alleging that many lecturers were leaving the institution for other universities where better remuneration and improved working conditions were available.

Dogo disclosed that many academic staff members earned monthly salaries ranging from N96,000 to N120,000, a situation he said was inadequate and had contributed to the institution’s difficulty in retaining qualified lecturers.

He consequently demanded the full implementation of the Federal Government-ASUU agreement in all its provisions, including the settlement of all outstanding arrears.

The union also demanded the implementation of staff promotions and the payment of all accumulated promotion arrears.

The ASUU chairman stated that all academic activities on the university campus would remain suspended throughout the period of the industrial action.

He urged the relevant authorities to address the union’s demands to facilitate a resolution of the dispute and ensure the resumption of academic activities.

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