Not one to shy away from controversy, Cool FM OAP, Daddy Freeze has put popular online store Jumia on blast for what he termed ‘counterfeiting.’
In three different posts on his Instagram page, he lamented in great details what he described as piracy.
In his first outburst, The recently separated show host and event compere said: “Did Jumia really list this fake piece of crap on their website or is my system acting up? Na wa o! Small time we go dey march against piracy! How hypocritical! One of the major things killing us in this country is our ‘in group bias’. We assume piracy is only bad if it’s done to us. When we support condone or patronize pirated goods it’s fine! ~ FRZ”
Not done, he continued in frustration: “Open letter to Jumia.com! Dear Jumia, You can do better than these fake TAG watches. I will implore you to take them down, as they would cast a shadow on the authenticity of other items on your website! Let’s all stand together as a formidable force against all forms of piracy and counterfeiting! Thank you, your customer ~ FRZ”
In another lengthy post he wrote: “SAY NO TO FAKES!!! 6 of my very first watches!£30 Pulsar (N9,000), £35 Accurist (N11,000), £28 Timex (8,000), £50 Timex (15,000), $100 Seiko5 (N22,000), and the most expensive watch here is a £150 Casio (N45,000). THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO JUSTIFICATION FOR COUNTERFEITING! Making statements like “if we can’t afford N1,000,000 watches but can afford N50,000 imitations that look like the authentic product, it’s ok, and it gives us the feel good factor” is equivalent to saying “if he sells hard drugs it’s because the economy is bad and he has to feed his family and pay for his mother’s cancer treatment” Proceeds from Counterfeiting rings are used to finance the hard drug industry, studies have shown. I wore a £20 Timex for 10years before I upgraded to a£50 and then a £100 Timex. Then I bought my first £150 Casio. My first Swiss watch was my #Oris! And my very first #Rolex was secondhand! You don’t have to buy fakes to appear in a certain light. #BuyWhatYouCanAfford #BuyOnlyOriginal! We are victims of the ‘in group bias’ that has destroyed our mindset! ‘In group bias’ refers to a pattern of favoring members of one’s in-group over out-group members. For instance, we Nigerians produce movies and music so we can relate to the pain associated with movie or music piracy. However, we do not share this sentiment with wristwatch manufacturers because they are not in our ‘in group’. Counterfeiting is NOT ONLY LIMITED TO MOVIES AND MUSIC this destructive industry has its tentacles in food and beverages, medicines, automotive and aeronautic parts, wristwatches and clothes etc. Let us make Nigeria the very First Nation that successfully eradicated ALL forms of #piracy and #counterfeiting!”
Jumia had not responded to these allegations as at the time of filling this report.