Wed, Sep 09, 2009 | 16:13 BST
Nigeria demands apology from Sony over PS3 price-cut adverts
The Federal Government of Nigeria has asked that Sony pull adverts for its PS3 price-cut and issue an apology for describing the country as” a home of fraud where its citizens hardly do genuine business”.
“Nigeria remains a major investment destination and a country where most businesses thrive in trust, good faith, competence and integrity,” said Prof Dora Akunyili, minister of information and communication. “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. In the light of the above, the Federal Government of Nigeria requests Sony Corporation to immediately withdraw that advertisement from circulation.”
Apparently, the country was insulted by the “Nigerian millionaire” comment making fun of the scam emails sent to people all over the globe.
Right.
Via Vanguard.
26 comments
#1
Gekidami
09/09/09, 4:16 pm
Any links to the actual ad?
#2
Phoenixblight
09/09/09, 4:16 pm
They ask for an apology then tell how they want the apology.
I guess they don’t have a saying. Beggers can’t be choosers.
#3
Stephany Nunneley
09/09/09, 4:24 pm
@ Gek http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL1xTcQwu-8
#4
Lutz
09/09/09, 4:25 pm
Considering Sony is probably more powerful than Nigeria I see a healthy “fuck you” appearing.
#5
Phoenixblight
09/09/09, 4:27 pm
@4 Forgot to say has more money than Nigeria
#6
Gekidami
09/09/09, 4:28 pm
Oh that ad. Well to be fair its sort of true isnt it.
#7
TastyAcidMilkk
09/09/09, 4:33 pm
@6 thier is alot of truth it too, theres alot of nigerians who do fraud then again so are alot of other people but that aint the matter at hand, whenever its brought up thiers allways denial, yet its prooven and its still denial, hence why so many ebay sellers have in thier auctions will not ship to nigeria etc
#8
phatb0y
09/09/09, 4:33 pm
Sony should offer their hand in friendship.
…But check their watch is still there afterwards.
#9
Komond_Deckard
09/09/09, 4:34 pm
Why the hell saying “I would be a Nigerian Millionaire” means: ”a home of fraud where its citizens hardly do genuine business”.
Read in “Time”: With a population of 55 million and an economy that grows 4% each year, the number of Nigerian millionaires is growing almost as fast as the country itself.
Is that an offense, saying Nigerian economy is growing fast and comparing yourself with that?
I don’t get it, has no sense.
#10
Komond_Deckard
09/09/09, 4:37 pm
7: “hence why so many ebay sellers have in thier acutions will not ship to nigeria etc”
Yeah that’s true. I always thought it should be a big problem and I read the reason. Anyway, I don’t think that has anything to do with the “Nigerian Millionaire”, they could have said any other country, “Chinese Millionaire” or “Spanish Millionaire”. I’m Spanish and I would find strange hearing that, but I wouldn’t think: “yeah, they only said that because they are callin us thieves!”.
#11
El_MUERkO
09/09/09, 4:41 pm
“The apology must be given the same measure of publicity by Sony Corporation in all channels where the unfortunate adverts were aired. The Apology must contain the following…
YOU HAVE WON MEXICO LOTTO BAJILLION, YOU WIN BIG, $100,000,000,000.67 TRANSFER SMALL CASH DEPOSIT TO CLAIM NOW NOW NOW!”
#12
freedoms_stain
09/09/09, 4:52 pm
Imma side with Sony on this one.
#13
Syrok
09/09/09, 4:56 pm
#14
Roybott
09/09/09, 5:35 pm
It’s a classic internet joke, I’m sure Sony meant no offence but I guess Nigeria needs to look like it’s trying to do something about it.
I expect Sony will either ignore it, or make a small scale ‘nod of the head’ apology and move on.
#15
Gekidami
09/09/09, 5:49 pm
Sony will probably apologise in the end, they’re sort of pushovers like that.
#16
Yoshi
09/09/09, 6:11 pm
They will most likely give an apology and just say they didnt mean anythin by it. SIMPLES
Not do all that other bollocks they requestin lol
#17
Artheval_Pe
09/09/09, 6:26 pm
Sony should offer their hand in friendship.
…But check their watch is still there afterwards.
Your xenophobic joke stinks like something coming out of the XIXth century.
Now let’s take an exemple. Imagine a french ad saying “You can’t believe everything the church says, otherwise you’d be a stupid american”
What would have been the reaction of the US ?
#18
Syrok
09/09/09, 6:28 pm
They wouldn’t have understood it.
#19
Gekidami
09/09/09, 6:30 pm
lol
And even then, the US gouverment wouldnt say anything, the flak would come from other groups.
#20
Komond_Deckard
09/09/09, 8:08 pm
17: stupid is an insult, millionaire is not.
#21
Phoenixblight
09/09/09, 8:56 pm
@17 hmm that doesn’t offend me in the slightest and I am an athesist. But even so your remark wasn’t even as funny as the sony commericial.
#22
Uncontested
10/09/09, 12:12 am
Lol Sony as a corporation is worth probably 10x what the entire country of nigeria is. I’m guessing Sony will laugh at them as the only Sony equipment in that sh!t hole is 15 years out dated or the result of credit card / identity theft.
#23
wz
10/09/09, 1:07 am
Sony revenue: $80 billion
Nigeria GDP: $220 billion
#24
Psychotext
10/09/09, 2:04 am
Bah.
#25
Artheval_Pe
10/09/09, 4:01 am
17: stupid is an insult, millionaire is not.
Technicly, indeed. But you know as well as me what the subtext implied and what it was referring to.
the US gouverment wouldnt say anything, the flak would come from other groups.
Yes, I guess we’d see a lot of french wine being wasted like what happened in 2003.
@21 : It wasn’t meant to be funny but to give a clear idea of what Nigerians could have felt.
#26
Phoenixblight
10/09/09, 4:45 am
Whatever it didn’t “hurt” the same. Nigerians have buildings full of people sending out those scams with military officials watching over them. Yeah and when Sony didn’t necessarily go in that direction, the Government of Nigeria just assumes what they meant by it.
If Everyone had to be “politically correct” no one would say a thing.