Omoyele Sowore Defends UBA Staffer, Seeks Psychosocial Help Amidst Backlash

Omoyele Sowore, a prominent human rights activist and the African Action Congress's presidential candidate, has spoken out against the public condemnation directed at a young United Bank for Africa (UBA) employee. This staff member faced widespread criticism for referring to the bank's Chairman, Tony Elumelu, by his first name. Following the extensive public mockery and attacks that ensued after the incident gained viral attention, Sowore has urged UBA to offer the woman suitable psychosocial assistance.

Sowore shared these views via a Facebook post published on Saturday, revealing that a senior UBA Group management official had reached out to him regarding his statements concerning the woman's situation. The employee is currently enrolled in the bank’s Graduate Management Accelerated Programme. The entire controversy originated from a widely circulated video where Elumelu was seen correcting the woman after she addressed him simply as "Tony" during an exchange. Elumelu later clarified his stance, stating that he doesn't endorse what he termed “oyinbo life,” emphasizing the deep significance of respect within African cultural norms.

In response to the criticism, Sowore dismissed the notion that the episode was merely a conflict of African versus Western cultural practices. He characterized the event as “a class war,” contending that the public's reaction underscored the societal hierarchy and class awareness that dictates who is obligated to show deference and who holds the privilege of casual address.

He stated, “I made it clear that, in my view, this was not a ‘culture clash’; it was a class war, a reflection of the deeply entrenched hierarchy and class consciousness that too often determines who is considered entitled to demand deference and who is expected to provide it.”

Sowore further posited that if one of Elumelu's children were to address a household gatekeeper or driver by their first name, it would scarcely provoke a comparable level of public indignation. He further noted that a significant number of the individuals criticizing the young woman would likely anticipate the gateman or driver to address Elumelu’s offspring with excessive respect.

According to Sowore, “That tells you immediately that this argument is not really about ‘African culture’ or respect. It is about class, status, wealth and power.”

Nevertheless, Sowore emphasized that his primary concern centered on the psychological ramifications of the entire controversy for the young woman involved. He strongly advised UBA to promptly extend fitting psychosocial support to her, asserting that no junior staff member or trainee should be left to endure the fallout of becoming the focus of extensive public critique independently.

He elaborated, “More importantly, I specifically requested that, given the enormous public opprobrium, ridicule, and attacks this young woman has been subjected to, UBA must immediately provide her with appropriate psychosocial support. Whatever anyone thinks about how she addressed Tony Elumelu, no young employee or trainee should be left alone to absorb the psychological consequences of suddenly becoming the target of a massive public controversy.”

Sowore declared that the young woman should not be “sacrificed on the altar of corporate hierarchy or social-media outrage.” He concluded, “Her dignity, welfare and mental well-being must come first.”

The incident has subsequently ignited a broader discourse concerning professional conduct in the workplace, the appropriate level of respect for senior management, and the custom of addressing superiors by their first names within Nigerian corporate environments.