Veteran entertainer and activist, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has revealed that the controversy over the renaming of his bus stop nearly pushed him into depression.
The 74-year-old singer said the drama around changing Charly Boy Bus Stop to Baddo Bus Stop took a toll on his mental health, forcing him to briefly leave Nigeria to clear his head.
“Life is a bitch, then we die,” Charly Boy wrote, adding that he travelled to Europe to visit his brother, Dr Alban, hoping to “recharge and reboot” away from what he described as Nigeria’s “potopoto environment.”
However, the break did not go as planned. “I was to spend three weeks, but after just ten days, my body began to itch, like I left something behind in Nigeria. Couldn’t even complete two weeks, I had to run back,” he confessed.
While joking that the situation felt like “jazz,” Charly Boy admitted the struggle was deeper than he let on. “Depression na real matter. I was lucky to take a break and return refreshed. But how many people get that kind of privilege? Some don’t even have where to run to. They are stuck, smiling outside but bleeding inside,” he said.
The Area Fada urged Nigerians to take mental health seriously and stop treating it as a taboo.
“If Area Fada can admit say sometimes e dey choke, then you too no need to pretend. Speak up, breathe, find your way back. Life go still test us, but we must not let it break us,” he advised.
He ended his message with words of encouragement: “Here’s wishing you a happier month. It shall be well with us.”
