The management of FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc, manufacturers of Peak Milk, has removed a controversial advert for the Easter season which depicts the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
The ad, a photograph of a dented tin of Peak Milk, punctured in two places, with a nail dripping milk, lying beside it, was publicised last Friday.
It was captioned: Bruised and Pierced for us. #GoodFriday.
Reacting to the ad, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, described it as “insensitive, offensive, and totally unacceptable.”
While noting that it would not tolerate any attempt to trivialise or disrespect its faith, CAN said it was considering serious sanctions on the company, including a boycott of its products.
The Christian body also demanded an immediate withdrawal of the “offensive” ad and an apology from the management of the company.
“Good Friday is a solemn day for Christians all over the world, a day we commemorate the death of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who was crucified on the cross for our sins. It is not a day to be used for crass commercial purposes,” a statement by CAN’s general secretary, Joseph Daramola reads.
“FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc’s action is not only disrespectful to the Christian faith but also an affront to the millions of Christians in Nigeria and beyond. We are deeply disappointed that a company of such repute would stoop so low to exploit the religious sentiments of its customers for profit.
“We are considering sanctions against FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc, including a boycott of their products by our members and all well-meaning Nigerians who share our concerns. We call on the company to issue an unreserved apology to the Christian community and withdraw the offensive advert immediately.”
In a swift response, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc. apologised for the ad, noting that it was not “intended to make light of the significance of the season.”
The company’s corporate affairs executive director, Ore Famurewa in a letter addressed to the CAN president, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said the company has withdrawn the controversial ad.
The letter reads: “On behalf of FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC, I hereby tender our unreserved apology to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) as well as to the Christian community at large for the recent Good Friday social media post on the company’s social media handle.
“We acknowledge the sensitivity of the social media post considering the sobriety of the season. It was neither intended to make light of the significance of the season nor to inordinately exploit the unmatched sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
“We wish to inform the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) that the social media post has since been withdrawn.
“We hereby restate our commitment to our unwavering mission of nurturing Nigeria while maintaining the respect of all religious laws, tenets and guidelines. Once again, please accept our deepest apology and pledge to prevent a reoccurrence of such in the future.”
Ezinwanne Onwuka, senior staff reporter and columnist with WAP is a Nigerian-based writer and content developer. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Her interests include reading, writing, researching and graphic designing.
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