By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Federal Government has expressed its displeasure over a viral video apparently taunting Nigerian civil servants over their inability to afford posh and luxury cars.
This is as the government warned an Abuja automobile dealer, popularly known as Alamin Sarkinmota, against subtle promotion of actions capable of demeaning civil servants, who work hard for their incomes, about their inability to acquire most of the cars he put up for sale in his advert videos.
Lanre Issa-Onilu, Director-General of National Orientation Agency disclosed this in a letter he signed on Monday.
According to Onilu, the agency is not pleased with the recent advert put up by Sarkin-Mota in a video to promote a Mercedes Benz 2023 C300 with Artificial Intelligence functionalities, where he asked the question “Can civil servants afford you?” and the AI function responded to say “No! may be in 2062.”
The statement read, “We write in reference to a video skit that you made ostensibly to promote a Mercedes Benz 2023 C300 with Al functionalities, which you showcased and asked the question ‘Can civil servants afford you?’ and the Artificial intelligence function responded to say ‘No! may be in 2062.’
“At a time when Nigerians are passing through so much social pressure and in an environment where get-rich-at-all-cost syndrome is pervasive and material things are being promoted over and above dignity of labour and decent values, it is wrong to be speaking in such condescending terms about Nigerian civil servants.
“To be a civil servant in Nigeria as is the case in most countries of the world is a very important role. Civil servants across sectors are the ones who work hard to provide enabling environment for businesses like yours to thrive and prosper. It is therefore indecent to speak condescendingly about Nigerian civil servants who spend many years of their lives dedicated to driving the machinery of government so that businesses like yours can thrive for the benefit of national development.”
The agency cautioned the auto dealer to mind his choice of words whenever he is trying to promote his vehicles for sale so as not to hurt what it described as “sensibilities of any segment of Nigerians.”
“We have taken the trouble to respond based on the feedback we are getting from many people who have watched your video skit on the 2023 C300 Mercedes-Benz. Kindly please take note.
“Please accept the assurance of my best wishes as we work together to build a resilient country where every cadre of citizen can thrive and be respected, a Nigeria where dignity of labour is valued over and above material things,” the statement added.
