Octave

From the crackle of old television sets and VHS cassettes during my childhood to the big cinema screens of today and streaming platforms, I watched Taiwo Hassan popularly known as Ogogo. His cinematic style was bold and raw. A perfectionist who is always serious on set. He respected the craft, mentored young ones, wrote, directed, produced and featured in numerous movies. I cannot think of Ogogo without remembering Owo Blow. His portrayal of Wole Owolabi was one of those performances that I can’t forget. He acted the role that audiences, including many young women of that generation, remained drawn to the character long afterwards and became his Crush. The film helped introduce him to a wider audience and became one of the defining chapters of his long career. Those productions also featured the women who completed the stories. I remember the late Adebimpe Adekola, known as Ireti, of blessed memory. Her frequent professional pairing with Ogogo formed part of the memories of that era. A...

“Good morning, Tony.” Those three words, spoken by a young woman to Tony Elumelu at a recent graduation event, ignited a national conversation within hours. Mr Elumelu corrected her at once: “No, you won’t call me Tony. You’ll call me Mr Elumelu, TOE or Chairman.” The clip spread rapidly, prompting debates about corporate culture, African respect, generational differences and the so-called “Oyibo” approach to workplace relationships. I watched the video several times. I could see both sides. I have worked in telecommunications and financial services environments where first-name culture was almost standard practice. At iSON BPO, inside an MTN call-centre setting, the atmosphere differed markedly from traditional Nigerian workplaces. I worked alongside Mr Adeyanju Johnson, Mr Onasa, Ms Odion, Mr Macaubrey et al…as my Team Lead. Even in that environment, I found it difficult to address some of them by first name alone. Earlier, in the financial sector, I called my branch manager Aunty Bi...