Aggrieved Nigerians especially those in diaspora may have started to strategise on the possibility of dragging Japanese electronic company, Sony Corporation, to court over the ‘malicious PlayStation3 commercial’ on the Internet which portrayed Nigerians as criminals.ITRealms Online reliably gathered at the weekend that the impending law suit to be instituted in Lagos or Abuja, has reached an advanced stage and only awaiting final touches.
One of those concerned Nigerian professionals is an Abuja-based Independent Entertainment Management Consultant, Mr. Iboro Otu. He told ITRealms Online that he felt that the Sony’s PlayStation3 commercial adversely affected businesses of corporate Nigerians, including himself.
The suit, it was gathered would be worth $100 million.
According to Mr. Otu, his company has plans to assemble internationally reputed entrepreneurs in the country before the ‘ridiculous commercial’ was unveiled by Sony Corporation.
“We are working on bringing in global entrepreneurs in the entertainment industry to assist in reinventing this sector in Nigeria and a silly publicity like this just hit us below the belt, it kills the whole purpose,” he declared, asking “Who wants to go to a country when you hear issues like these are incessant? It’s very irritating.”
Iboro also said that his company, www.abillionmen.com, is working on collaborating with the Ministry of Information and Communications toward addressing such an issue.
“My company is looking at working in partnership with the ministry of information on ways to address issues like this and at the moment, we are still in communication,” he said.
He expressed optimism that this step of taking Sony to court would prevent such corporations like Sony and other countries of the world from insulting Nigeria and Nigerians wherever they may be.
“My hope is that we can get to stop corporations and nations from making Nigeria a butt of their jokes on corruption issues. We’re not worse than anybody. Enough is now enough,” he said.
ITRealms Online recalls that last week, management of Sony Corporation in the Middle East and Africa were at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja to apologise to the Federal Government through the Ministry of Information and Communications, which was rejected out-rightly by Prof. Dora Akunyili, insisting that the letter of apology from Sony be re-worded appropriately to reflect admission of guilt to all Nigerians instead of ‘some Nigerians.’
Akunyili said that the government noted with dismay that the reference to Nigeria is not accepted by the people and government of Nigeria and requested Sony Corporation to ensure the withdrawal of the advert from circulation, which depicted Nigerians as fraudsters.
A press statement from Akunyili’s office last week, maintained “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.
According to her, the government of Nigeria sees this as an effort by Sony Corporation to undermine Nigerian’s business interest globally.
“This insinuation is in bad faith and unacceptable. The Government and the good people of Nigeria reject this unwarranted attack on the reputation and image of the country,” she said, highlighting the fact that the commitment of the present administration in making certain that fraudsters are rid of in the country by putting in place institutions and mechanisms to ensure the country of any form of fraudulent exercise.
However, industry analysts endorsed the plans to drag Sony to court in order to teach the company a life lession of respecting other people’s sanctity.
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