Written By HENRY KESTER EWRUJE
The nation’s image has been dented by the recent film and advert of Sony Corporation.
Of late, Nigerians have attracted bad press in Europe, America and other foreign countries because of mistruths, half truths and deliberate distortion of the truth.
This might partly explain why the government embarked on the rebranding project.
President Umaru Yar’ Adua’s administration efforts to rebrand Nigeria were unveiled early this year by the Minister of Information and Communications, Professor Dora Akunyili in Abuja.
A blockbuster Sci-fi movie which caricatures Nigerians as gangsters and cannibals and a Sony Play station advert which implies that Nigerians are fraudsters have infuriated a government battling to improve the country’s image.
South African film “District 9” which has topped the UK box office for two straight weeks and ranked in the top 10 in North America is an allegory on segregation and xenophobia, with alien life forms in a township set in Johannesburg.
None of the groups shown comes out particularly well, but the Nigerians are portrayed as gangsters, cannibals, pimps, and prostitutes while their leader’s name is pronounced Obasanjo – the same as that of Nigeria’s former President. Nigeria has banned cinemas from showing it.
When somebody calls you a bad name, and you do nothing about it, others will join and it will stick.
The sociological diagnosis of Nigerians by Sony Corporation is provocative, deplorable and unacceptable.
Professor Akunyili reacted immediately, requesting that the advert be taken out of circulation and demanded an apology that will gather the kind of prominence the advert had.
To add insult to injury, and as contempt for the great nation of Nigeria and her good people, Sony apologized on its website, “to some members of the Nigerian community”.
Professor Akunyili quickly responded and told Sony to rewrite the apology to the government and the good people of Nigeria.
There is no doubt that Sony disrespects Nigeria and does not care about the Nigerian market or why will it refer to the people as uneducated, less human and pathologically backwards as depicted in their latest movie called ‘District 9” – another misrepresentation by Sony.
Sony has been making huge sales of its products in Nigeria since independence. Infact, Nigeria is the largest consumer of Sony products in Africa, south of the Sahara, north of river Limpopo.
Sony probably thinks that Nigeria is a small insignificant African country, where people are illiterates and cannibals as ignorantly and wrongly portrayed in the film.
Rather strangely, Nigerians all over the world don’t see anything wrong with the insult of the country and embarrassment of her citizens by Sony. It is regrettable that they are not reacting and responding angrily to Sony’s advert.
Sony Corporation in the advertisement to promote its play station 3 (PS3) game, shows a man talking about the PS3 and how it can be gotten from the internet at a cheap price and that “you cant believe everything you read on the Internet otherwise, I’d be a Nigerian millionaire by now.”
I am neither amused nor amazed by the daring temerity with which Sony vilified Nigerians with impunity. If anything, I am enraged.
Consequently, I call on all Nigerians to rise and join the government in resisting those who do not mean well for the country.
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NIGERIAN’S PROBLEM, WE NEVER TAKE THIS KIND OF THING SERIOUS
My fellow patroit, i thought i was d only one who sees between the lines and has been speaking against the stupidity of south africa[ns] and the foolishness of sony corprations. since they have both refused to appologise, especially south africans, who have forgotten so soon that we fought for their independence, we accomodated, sheltered, clothed and fed them when they were under the oppression and apparthied from torment metted on them by the so called white counter part with whom they are insulting us. And all the bad ways they have been treating Nigerians both in their country and outside their country, all we know about. They will come back begging on their kneels, and then we’ll rub their faces in the shit. There are many ways to catch a rat. And for the sony corpration that has been adamant to appologise, i will suggest the Federal Minister of Information and Communication and the Federal Government of Nigeria,should ban every product of sony corpration from coming into this country, from the least to the greatest or from their smallest product to their biggest product. Also every establishment or outlet or company owned by sony corpration in this country sholud be shot down for eternity. I remember sometime ago, precisely under the governance of ex-president Obasanjo, when Nigeria purchased some armours from china, the then american ambassador to Nigeria confronted our government rudely, saying their country was not called upon to bid for the supply. For this, he forwarded a letter to their government in america, and the result was quite clear, eight hundred Nigerians in america were deported in one day. When the american ambasador was confronted by the Nigerian government he denied that it wasn’t because they were not called upon to bid for the supply of the armours, but that the people were not having residential permit.
For my fellow country men who take the insult of foreigners as a blessing, it is a pity that Nigerians do not know when to stand and confront their friendly-foes. Not in voilence but in words and actions that will send the right messages and make them see the patroit in us. But if it is to talk against our leaders and the rich, their mouth will be faster than the speed of light to raise and reign insults and curses, for the same very offences for which they are guilty if they truly search inward. I am not in support of corruption. Let’s tell ourselves the truth. Most of the negative news we read in the media are not true but because people love hearing and reading negative information than positve ones the media establishments have cook up some for the general consumption of the masses just to sell, even when they know it’s a lie.
Fellow Nigerians wake up to reality, i’m not saying some of you should react to this post, infact i’m expecting alot of antagonim. But the truth will always prevail in our conscience in our quiet moment. Thank you all.
Sorry for some typographical error in the last paragrph, so i had to re-post it.
Fellow Nigerians wake up to reality, i’m not saying some of you should not react to this post, infact i’m expecting alot of antagonism or antagonistic responses to this post. But the truth will always prevail in our conscience in our quiet moment. Thank you all.