ciscostaz:

I have read with keen interest the comments of some supposed Nigerians who have made such statements as "Is it not true?" that those allegations are right.  Its rather unfortunate that they need to really have a broad look at the 419 thing to know that it is not only Nigerians that are involved in the thing.  The only thing is that there is a way other countries manage their own information while the one in our country is always (with vigour) blown to the highest heavens.

If you have ever traveled out of this country, you will come to realised that anytime you mention that you are a "Nigerian", or presented your green passport at the point of entry to any of these countries, their countenance towards you changes immediately as if to say you are also a 419er which is not very fair.  Its a very bad Stigma.  The federal govts response through Akunyili is a welcome development. They should go a further step by demanding  an apology from Sony Corporation.  You can not insult me in the face of everybody  and still expect me to continue doing business with you.

Its high time we tell the world that it is not only Nigerians that are involved in this deal and there are good people among us.  Well, I hope the Federal Government will also rise to the occasion of making this country home for all of us.  Prosterity will judge everyone that put us in this situation, in the first place.

9ijaprince:

Sony has achieved its marketing strategy. That game will sell like pure water.

touchmeder:

Thank God i must say (heaves a sigh of relief)and for those who thought the ad was ok and a joke
sorry for you!

ciscostaz:

@Texazzpete
You amused me with your comment. I have never said I supported the 419 guys. I hope you can get that into your head. What I said was that It is not only Nigerians that are involved in the "business". And my last statement was at the people who put us in this situation. I have always prayed that this country will be better. I can see that you are not a Nigerian no wonder you can go about writing things you dont know anything about.

Kobojunkie:



This change in no way absolves Nigerians of the shame that follows them wherever they go, neither does not help our image abroad. So whether SONY decides to play the AD or not, the SONY site would still reject direct sales from Nigeria. Ebay will still cancel all transactions that involve Nigerians or IP addresses from that end. Companies will still continue to monitor emails and requests from Nigeria.

Kobojunkie:

The ad was changed a couple of days before your press announced the news in the press. Ofcourse, if any country complained about an issue, companies would rush to immediately make changes cause to them, it is all about the dollar. Even a letter from North Korea or Zimbabwe would get SONY or even McDonalds to make such changes. But I am worried that most on here are reading way too much into this.

This change in no way absolves Nigerians of the shame that follows them wherever they go, neither does not help our image abroad. So whether SONY decides to play the AD or not, the SONY site would still reject direct sales from Nigeria. Ebay will still cancel all transactions that involve Nigerians or IP addresses from that end. Companies will still continue to monitor emails and requests from Nigeria. And for $299, SONY may as well win the rush come this christmas cause that price is cheap compared to the price of most all other TOP of the LIST gadgets for the holiday season.

proudly9ja:

Why do you never see anything good in anything done by a Nigerian? When people made noise about this issue, you complained that we were wasting our time, now that SONY has deemed it fit to change the ad, you still are telling us our effort was fruitless.

proudly9ja:

With all due respect, this situation is a simple and clear cut one. No one has come out to say we don't have 419ers in our midst or have we come out to say Nigeria is the best country to be. All we said is that it was wrong for SONY to use it in their ad the same way they cannot use anything negative about the Americans, Japanese or Germans in their ads. And SONY has deemed it fit and removed the offensive part, simple. Has that redeemed our image as Nigerians, NO, has it stopped us being harrased at airports, NO. But is there anything to learn from it, YES! I for one have seen that as Nigerians, if we speak with ONE voice then WE will be heard. But as long as Nigerians like you are around to remind us of our faults and talk down on anything Nigerian, rather than support our effort, then it leaves a lot to be desired. Don't you think its better to keep quiet than put down the efforts of others?

Kobojunkie:


What business of yours is it if I choose to see anything good or not in Nigeria? Since when did making another person’s chosen way your business become the norm? Why not accept instead that I do not see things as you do rather than continue this bantering which only makes you appear more ridiculous by the minute?



Again, I will likely never see things as you do.

texazzpete:

It's people like you that encourage this stigma you whine about. Why the hell do you think these people shouldn't look at you with suspicion when tens of thousands of your brothers are sending them scam emails, and many of them appear in the news, apprehended by foreign law enforcement agencies for duping westerners? Haven't you seen/heard truly sickening stories of how victims of 419  have been broken financially and emotionally by relentless and merciless Nigerian 419 gangs?
So as far as you're concerned, it's not the bad things we do that make us pariahs, instead we should blame the people who publicise the bad things we do. And that's just sad.

As for your 'supposedly Nigerian' statement, i can't help laughing. over 70% of you educated Nigerians failed to turn up to vote during the last elections, Nairaland opinion polls show that as much as 40% of respondents will deliberately avoid paying tax if they can help it.
Patriotism is best shown when you pay taxes, vote actively and obey the laws of your country. Not by sending online petitions and feeling insulted over an issue you should feel SHAME for!

Hydy:

, Okay guys, its a shame dat some pple r talkin like infants, d word "Nigerian" has 2 do with me as much as it has 2 do with u as well as every other nigerian.Sony making profit in 9ja or not does not give them such right.
Nigeria has nothing2 hide again as d whole world already label us 419er.

Hydy:

So dis is a great opportunity 4 nigeria 2 take the ongoing Re-branding campaign of dis great country to the WORLD,to let d world know dat we readilly reject n refuse to continue answering dat name "419er" .
Hy dont know about u but hy am not a 419er,and Its only proper 4 sony to apologise 2 us or they cant continue business in nigeria.

Hydy:

Its also a wake-up call 4 us 2 change our bad ways,so we can call ourselves what we want others 2 call us.
Some guys r jus joking on dis thread, but if they've ever gone outside dis country, they would know how serious dis issue is.

Tats:

Has the fact that the advert been altered changed anything? maybe just that Nigeria has succeeded in making a large corporation alter an Ad! So when next should we be expecting another individual, nation or company to defame us?

ciscostaz:

@Texazzpete
You amused me with your comment. I have never said I supported the 419 guys. I hope you can get that into your head.  What I said was that It is not only Nigerians that are involved in the "business".  And my last statement was at the people who put us in this situation. I have always prayed that this country will be better. I can see that you are not a Nigerian no wonder you can go about writing things you dont know anything about.

TheSeeker:

Don't mind him. He's comparing United States to Nigeria yet, he has no idea how Nigeria operates. I live in the States and know how it goes down here.

Kobojunkie:

Defame us? How did this mention of Online Scammers defame the country? How do you connect the one to the other in such a way? You mean the online Scammers are not the guilty party here, SONY is? HOW? How can you defame a country by making mention of a scourge the country refuses to deal with?

TheSeeker:

My friend, just don't jump into the middle of my comments. Get the drift of it and don't try to twist it or don't comment about it all. Yes, I'm listening to myself. Do you know what Korean ruler called Hilary Clinton and do you know why he said what he did about her? Hilary made a foul statement, not even as heavy as this, and she got a taste of the man's bitter slandering; that may not be a perfect example but it's related to this in a way that when you make negative remarks, you hear back from the person you make it again, no matter what. So suck up your opinion to yourself. If SONY is closed down I don't see it hurting Nigeria at all and no, they closing it will be bad for their business. The only company you'll close down that will hurt Nigeria real bad is MTN, SONY, hell no! Rephrase that.

TheSeeker:

If SONY thought what they did was so right or they can't be reprimanded, why did they change it?

TheSeeker:

You don't stay in that dark and start whistling those non-existent ideas. The truth is Nigerians are scammers? Is that what you're telling me? Are you a scammer too? Pray tell, what portion of Nigeria is involved in fraud, maybe 20% (if it's up to that at all) and this portion automatically speaks in full for the rest? Think again! A very little fraction of Nigerians are involved in this and it's an insult if it's labeled on the country like it's her trademark. I don't condone what they are doing but in spite of that you don't open your mouth and make foul remarks at a country.

Chrisbenogor:

, it is one thing to accuse the whole nation of being scammers

Chrisbenogor:

texxxazepete you can join Sony in the pawto pawto they are sitting in already

My friend, just don't jump into the middle of my comments. Get the drift of it and don't try to twist it or don't comment about it all. Yes, I'm listening to myself. Do you know what Korean ruler called Hilary Clinton and do you know why he said what he did about her? Hilary made a foul statement, not even as heavy as this, and she got a taste of the man's bitter slandering; that may not be a perfect example but it's related to this in a way that when you make negative remarks, you hear back from the person you make it again, no matter what. So suck up your opinion to yourself. If SONY is closed down I don't see it hurting Nigeria at all and no, they closing it will be bad for their business. The only company you'll close down that will hurt Nigeria real bad is MTN, SONY, hell no! Rephrase that.

If SONY thought what they did was so right or they can't be reprimanded, why did they change it? You don't stay in that dark and start whistling those non-existent ideas. The truth is Nigerians are scammers? Is that what you're telling me? Are you a scammer too? Pray tell, what portion of Nigeria is involved in fraud, maybe 20% (if it's up to that at all) and this portion automatically speaks in full for the rest? Think again! A very little fraction of Nigerians are involved in this and it's an insult if it's labeled on the country like it's her trademark. I don't condone what they are doing but in spite of that you don't open your mouth and make foul remarks at a country.

Kobojunkie:

Again, what foul remark was made against the Country itself? What particular line in the AD specifically states that ALL NIGERIANS ARE INTERNET SCAMMERS? What line?