A letter to Nigerians
Dear all,
In April 2006 I created a single page website in response to the 419 issue. The idea behind the website was to ensure it was on the first page of every search engine when searching for the key phrase "Nigeria Fraud". And today the webpage has made it to the first page of Google - although it is still at the bottom of the page - so the work is not over yet. (Visit the homepage for Nigeria 419 scam and letter.)
Why you might ask is this useful? Well since about 90% of website visits comes from search engines and directories, I wanted to ensure people read our side of the story - to see the damage caused by labelling an entire nation as "Fraud" - before they read other negative rubbish and more importantly to hopefully change attitudes.
Report all international fraud to the Nigeria Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
I don't know if you truly understand the effect of this "Fraud" label. I have to compete for business in Europe and when clients hear you are Nigerian, they sit differently. I don't blame them because everything they hear and read about Nigeria is never good.
Every country has it's own bad apples
If you are not Nigerian and you are reading this letter, please note - good Nigerians far outweigh the bad ones. Judge the person(s) you deal with, not by the country they come from, but by the person's actions. This is a very serious matter because the bad press Nigeria gets over fraud is really killing the growth of the entire country - and I trust you will agree with me that, a few bad apples should not cloud the judgement of any intelligent human being.
Fellow citizens, we need to start pulling together if we are to change things for the better in Nigeria. Together we become stronger - stronger we change attitudes - stronger we move mountains. The day we stop seeking self-glory and start working together is the day we truly can call ourselves a "developing nation" because until then, we will remain a "struggling nation".
To the scammers: What you are doing is seriously damaging the image of our country abroad. STOP IT!
I beg you all - when you read or hear 1 bad thing said about Nigeria, make sure you say 2 good things. This will in future help younger Nigerians - they won't have to go through the same pains we are going through. And hopefully, it will make it easier for them to do business outside Nigeria - and foreign investors to come and setup camp in Nigeria.
Our government is not really doing enough to change attitudes abroad - too busy lighting and fighting fires at home - so it is up to you and me to take on this responsibility. This is something you CAN DO for the motherland, we call Nigeria.
Please visit Nigeria letters and scams - read and add a link to it from your website! Do something positive today!
Michael Gbadebo
Jan 2007
FRAUD IS A GLOBAL PROBLEM - NOT ONLY A NIGERIAN PROBLEM - STOP THE BAD PRESS!
To all Nigerians out there - you can make a difference. Promote Nigeria in a positive way and stay honest when dealing with people, because it is through your actions many will judge Nigeria. Together we can change attitudes, make things better and easier for coming generations. Finally to all honest and hard working Nigerians - keep up the good work and hold your heads up high - you are doing great.
To support this single page website - add a link to it from your website using this code;
<a href="http://www.nigeriafraud.org">Nigeria Fraud</a>
