Charly Boy has opened up about how renaming a Lagos bus stop once bearing his name affected him.
The entertainer admitted it nearly led to depression and stressed awareness about mental health.
Veteran entertainer and activist, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has revealed that the renaming of a bus stop once bearing his name almost pushed him into depression.
The 74-year-old said the change from “Charly Boy Bus Stop” to “Baddo Bus Stop” hit him deeply, leaving him unsettled and compelling him to travel out of Nigeria in search of peace of mind.
Sharing the experience, he recalled:
“Life is tough, then we die. I had to leave Nigeria just to save my sanity.”
Charly Boy explained that he travelled to Europe to spend time with his brother, musician Dr Alban, hoping to rest and recharge. He initially planned to stay for three weeks but cut the trip short.
“I planned to spend three weeks resting and recharging, but after just ten days I became uneasy, as though I had left something important behind in Nigeria. I couldn’t even stay up to two weeks before I hurried back,” he said.
While he lightheartedly described the experience as feeling like “jazz,” the entertainer made it clear that depression is a serious issue, stressing that many Nigerians suffer from it quietly.
“Depression is real. I was fortunate to step away and return feeling renewed,” he added. But how many people have that chance? Some don’t even have where to run to. They smile outside but are bleeding inside,” he noted.
Encouraging Nigerians to take mental health seriously, the self-styled Area Fada urged people not to see it as weakness but to speak up and seek support.
“If Area Fada can admit that sometimes it gets overwhelming, you don’t need to pretend either. Speak up, take a breath, and find your balance. Life will test us, but we must not let it break us. My people, I wish you a happier month. It shall be well with us,” he added.
