FG warns Abuja car dealer over viral video mocking civil servants inability to afford luxury cars
The Federal Government has cautioned Alamin Sarkinmota, a well-known car dealer in Abuja, against making fun of the nation’s civil servants for their inability to purchase the kind of the vehicles he offers for sale in his promotional movies.
The National Orientation Agency revealed this on Monday in a letter that was signed by Lanre Issa-Onilu, the agency’s director general.
Onilu claims that Sarkin-Mota’s recent video advertisement for a Mercedes Benz 2023 C300 with AI features raised concerns for the agency. In the video, he asked a question, “Can civil servants afford you?” and the AI function responded to say “No! may be in 2062.”
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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 car dealer to use appropriate language when promoting his cars for sale to avoid offending what it called the “sensibilities of any segment of Nigerians.”
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“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,” the statement added.
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