Saturday, September 05, 2009

That Sony PS3 419 ad - if you haven't seen it yet..



This is what the Minister of Information has to say:

MALICIOUS ADVERTISEMENT AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA BY SONY COROPORATION

The attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria has been drawn to an advertisement by Sony Corporation on the internet which from all indications is designed to portray Nigeria in bad light in an effort for Sony to market her products.

1. The advert in question currently circulating on youtube.com and facebook.com and other international websites creates the impression that Nigerians hardly do genuine business. This insinuation is in bad faith and unacceptable.

2. The Government and the good people of Nigeria reject this unwarranted attack on the reputation and image of the country. The government sees this as an attempt by Sony Corporation to undermine Nigeria’s business interest around the world.

3. It is on record that Sony Corporation has operated in Nigeria since the country’s independence and has enjoyed tremendous patronage from Nigerians at home and abroad. Over these years, there is no established record that the company has recorded any major incidence of scam or fraud by Nigerians that warrants its deliberate campaign against the country’s image.

4. While Nigeria accepts or concedes that there are few criminal minded people within her population just like any other country including Japan the home country of Sony Corporation. The Federal Government of Nigeria has as a matter of policy put in place institutions and mechanisms to rid the country of any form of fraudulent practices. Nigeria therefore does not see the basis to single out the country as an example in that infamous advertisement.

5. In the light of the above, the Federal Government of Nigeria requests Sony Corporation to immediately withdraw that advertisement from circulation.

6. Nigeria also demands an unconditional apology from Sony Corporation for this deliberate negative campaign against the country’s image and reputation. The apology must be given the same measure of publicity by Sony Corporation in all channels where the unfortunate adverts were aired.

7. The Federal Government of Nigeria wishes to assure all genuine investors around the world that Nigeria remains a major investment destination and a country where most businesses thrives in trust, good faith, competition, competence and integrity.

PROF. DORA AKUNYILI
HON. MINISTER, INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
4TH SEPTEMBER, 2009

18 comments:

gungun 8:50 pm  

The "nigerian prince" is now part of pop culture and it is not going away. To me, the reference is more about spam email than it is about nigerian fraudsters but I guess Dora is within her right to protest.

le Sapiosexual 9:24 pm  

Madam Dora finds it acceptable to dance to Olu Maintain and the other person that sings Maga Don Pay, but when a foreign company echoes the same sentiments that have been used by indigenous artistes/musicians(whatever they call themselves) she decides to cry fowl play. Bollocks
This is like the case of the N Word, its ok when a black person uses it but if a person of a different skin colour utters it, it is called racism...bollocks

Anengiyefa 9:42 pm  

A load of hot air! This venom should have been focused early on on Nigerian internet scammers when they were running riot. Crying foul now when we have allowed things to get out of hand as they have done, is like trying to lock the gates after the horses have bolted. People abroad are within their rights to cast aspersions on our intergity. Its our bloody fault!

And @ le Sapiosexual, in my view any black person who uses the N word suffers from low self-esteem.

Oguro,  11:56 am  

She should get a life .... kini big deal?

Omo Baale 12:31 pm  

You should see District 9 where the wheelchair-bound head of a Nigerian gang running their own petty schemes in a slum in Pretoria, SA, is called none other than Obasanjo. Obasanjo's goal is to become like the aliens that inhabit District 9 and he tries to do this by eating their flesh.

Fatima 1:03 pm  

I am so happy that someone is beginning to stand up for Nigerians when they are being collectively libeled as such. I think the reason why the stereotype is growing is that nobody counters it.

Thanks Dora :)

Nigerias Finest 6:27 pm  

I love the ad. Dora should go and shit. Fucking criminals. The

Anonymous,  7:34 pm  

Nigerians actually think the ad is OK? Wow, we are really a great people and a good nation. Just so you know, Nigeria is no.7 in internet fraud, guess who is ahead of us. L'Amerique. But Sony would never have dared use the country for the ad. If Sony feels so bad about my dear country, would they kindly take their products out of here?
Yes, it's perfectly all right for us to make jokes on ourselves but it is not ok for others to do so.This applies everywhere.

Nigerians sha, never seen a bigger set of self haters. Hiss, hiss/

omo naija,  9:34 pm  

I agree with Anon 7.34pm.

I think the biggest tragedy here is that some of these fraudsters are so f*cking stupid - its almost like they have a "Return To Sender" stamp, with name, address and phone number on their scams. Why won't people take the piss?

Shame on 419ers, but more shame on Sony for stooping so low.

plastiQQ 8:33 am  

I like Sony Products....em, what's the issue again?

My point is this: WE ARE TOO REACTIVE, NEVER EVER PROACTIVE. When a Nigerian turns out a good product: music, movies, art...etc that could help project the country's image in a good light...nobody comes out to help, especially if the person is not from their tribe, race or family.

It's all bull to me...I like that 42 inch Wega I saw at The Palms...and the PS3 is a fantastic console. Nigerian Prince? What is that?

Dapxin 6:30 am  

I just dont know what to say....

Our spam, or so-tagged-our-spam is all over the place.

Dora herself is a disaster of a minister; a sugar-coated-liar.

We have a dead-president, who is in charge of the most corrupt elites the world's ever seen;

Yet, the idea that a corporation can 140M+, with such derison stinks; You feel as tho you should grab a gun and shoot....except! really it should start from the Dora's of this world in all their dubious glory.

Bottomline; There is really no "Nigeria". Its gone...

Anonymous,  1:21 pm  

"we lay our beds we lie in it" - A true reflection of our nation. Please tell our leaders to start repairing our image by starting at the top.

Ole , barawo, onioshi all of you. Thief!!!

Anonymous,  6:32 am  

hillarious ad.
"Bernie you can't believe everything you read on the internet, otherwise i'd be a Nigerian millionaire by now."


What a classic line. Great job by the guys who did the ad.

Anonymous,  9:38 am  

"It is on record that Sony Corporation has operated in Nigeria since the country’s independence and has enjoyed tremendous patronage from Nigerians at home and abroad." heeheehee. like big men coming back from the US after spending their mugu mugu money...

Anonymous,  10:45 pm  

Was this just her response to the people or do we know for sure if it was forwarded to SONY CORPORATION?

james 10:52 am  

This is just what I was looking for. The templates are a nice idea. Good Luck
more templates easy to download

Obi 7:08 am  

The stereotype of the "Nigerian Prince" scam email is now part of pop culture, there is nothing that can be done about it.
However, it never hurts to point out how unfair the insinuation is.
They are about 150million Nigerians and I would estimate that several tens of thousands of Nigeria partake in the "Yahoozey" email scams. Similarly, white Americans make up about 60% of the US population.. about 180 million and by my estimates at least several tens of thousands are active members of hate groups like the KKK, IKA, Aryan nation etc. Yet, be sure that most white Americans would be offended if one insinuates that all white Americans were members of racist hate groups even if it was said as a joke!
Every Nigerian who is teased about Nigerian scam stereotypes should find a similar analogy. That tends to cease the teasing.

Mustapha 3:57 pm  

If u r a good baker u`ll want to be noticed, if u r good at what u do u`ll want to be noticed. So these guys have recognised Nigerians as good sportsmen and women, good academics and educationists etc. and along the line they recognised Nigerians as good at 419 right from the leadership to the business moguls. The Government decided to make noise over if (sincerely or not) because it affects their image as bad leaders for which they are. Period!!! Pleeeease Sony only called a spade by its name. The thieves are the millionaires o jare... I dont care what the advert potrays, we only have ourselves to blame. Shikenan!!!

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