How I treat young people who call me by name – Shaffy Bello reveals

Usually in Yoruba culture you don’t call elders by their first name. Veteran Nollywood actress, is an adherent of this culture as she reveals how she treats young people who call her by her name.

Shaffy Bello was recently interviewed by Stephanie Coker on a podcast during which she revealed that some younger folks still call her by saying ‘Hi Shaffy’.

Addressing this she noted that peoples background determine some of the things they do. She noted that while some younger folks reference to her as aunty instead of calling her by name.

She added that anytime someone younger than her call her by her name, she draw the person closer, and remind them that they don’t have the right to call her such.

She said,

“Of course I still get it, I get the ‘Hi Shaffy’, and usually for me I know that upbringing matters and I also know that where you’re from also dictates some of the things that you do.

“For example, the Igbos don’t do that, they use ‘aunty’ and it’s so interesting to me because even in the States, they will never call their aunties by name, they go ‘aunty, cousin.’ They do the ‘ma’am.

“Usually my response is simple and I say it with love, I pull them close and I tell them ‘you haven’t earned the right to call me by my name, I have a child as old as you are. Even if I didn’t have children you haven’t earned the right , and you would never earn the right at your age to call me my name.”