Delta governor’s aide offers viral UBA employee cash support, VIP trip and ambassadorial role after social media backlash.
A young UBA employee who went viral after addressing the bank’s chairman, Tony Elumelu, by his first name has received a N500,000 cash support offer and an ambassadorial deal from the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Delta State Governor, Ossai Success.
Ossai announced the offer in a Facebook post on Saturday, saying he would also sponsor the woman’s trip to Asaba for the fourth edition of the Delta Social Media Summit on August 27, 2026.
The package, according to him, includes flight tickets, five-star hotel accommodation, a guided tour of developmental projects in Delta State and VIP access to the summit at the Mariam Babangida Leisure Park, Asaba.
He also offered the woman a brand ambassador role for the Delta Social Media Summit, an annual platform organised in the state.
Explaining the gesture, Ossai said the backlash against the woman following the incident had become excessive and urged Nigerians to support rather than continue to criticise her.
“She made a mistake, but we don’t need to torment her daily; she needs our support,” he said.
The woman attracted widespread attention after a video from UBA’s Graduate Management Accelerated Programme graduation ceremony showed her addressing Elumelu as “Tony” while asking a question.
Elumelu subsequently corrected her, asking that she address him as “Mr Elumelu” or “TOE” rather than by his first name.
The woman immediately apologised, corrected herself and continued with her question.
The incident sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some Nigerians supporting Elumelu’s position on workplace respect, while others argued that first-name interactions are common in some corporate environments.
UBA recently celebrated 374 young professionals who completed its Graduate Management Accelerated Programme, describing them as part of the next generation of leaders across its African markets.
Ossai appealed to anyone who knows the woman to encourage her to contact him, saying he wanted to give her an opportunity to share her story.
“Let’s turn this pain into purpose. She won’t be disappointed,” he said.
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