Nollywood actress, Toyin Abraham, has responded to criticism over a viral video of her kneeling to greet prominent socialite, Shade Okoya, her husband, Alhaji Rasaq Okoya, and other dignitaries at the event.
PrimeTimes Nigeria reports that a netizen, identified as Lady Victoria, reacted to a video from former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel’s 70th birthday celebration, in which Toyin was seen kneeling before Shade Okoya and others.
The fan urged the movie star to stop what she described as unnecessary kneeling, arguing that it invited disrespect and amounted to eye service.
She wrote, “I’m a fan of Aunty Toyin Abraham but this her unnecessary kneeling down and greeting is becoming too much and looking like an eye service now.”
In response, Toyin Abraham insisted she would not stop the practice for those she deemed worthy of the gesture.
She wrote, “I won’t stop kneeling to people who value and deserve it, my darling. I will continue to go on my both knees to greet people who value and deserve it no matter the status.”
In a subsequent post, Toyin added, “I have seen the various opinions regarding the manner in which I greeted some elders at a recent event. It gives me pause to reflect on when we began to drift from our culture and traditions, to the point where kneeling as we were taught is now described as “abosi.”
“I, Toyin Abraham Ajeyemi, was raised to kneel when greeting those older than me. It is a value deeply rooted in who I am, and one I will continue to uphold with pride.
“As a commitment to our heritage, I will remain intentional about passing these values on to the younger generations, in order to preserve and honor our culture. Wishing everyone a pleasant day.”