 This is the new craze in town. You call your friends and you listen to a sweet melody soothing through your ears instead of the usual blare of telephone tunes. This sounds like a fascinating idea except it actually deviates from the issues surrounding the GSM world; the high cost of making a single call, but hopefully with the proposed interconnect tariff by Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) which begins in September, there will be a sigh of relief for different GSM subscribers but a sigh of pain for the Fixed Wireless Subscribers.
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Whenever there is a Value Added Service (VAS) introduced by telephone operators in Nigeria, there are always strong agitations by subscribers to obtain these products despite the price implications. It seems or let me rephrase it very very well; an average Nigerian prefers the show-off to the economical implications of obtaining things. We know how to manage ourselves and subsequently know how to throw “Owambe†Parties; no wonder a telecom operator can declare profit in their first year of operation. Nigeria is truly a ground that defies logic.
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But all said, what is the benefit of the Callertunez? I remember my first encounter with this VAS; I called a colleague using GLO and a Sunny Ade tune filled my ears early in the morning when I was prepared for work. I really did not know what to make of it but as the music continued singing, I started enjoying the tune before my colleague’s voice cut in. Oh was I mad, the stuff was cool but the interruption was not. This product I can bet you will generate millions of dollars for the telecoms operators because Nigerians love the oppression syndrome; I remember the entrant of WAP and MMS, the argument I witnessed amongst Idumota Spare Part Dealers arguing heatedly about how Glo is better than MTN in being the first to launch this product. Oh my people, when will you change? When will you know what is more important?
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Is it the oppression or the economic implication?
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All said and done, I was amazed this morning when people were picking up a Blackberry handset. Na wao, do they even know what it is used for? This simply shows the psyche of my dear brothers. To set the records straight without any technicality, the primary aim of blackberry is for outdoor staffs of a company trying to access their company’s e-mail like outlook instantly not web e-mails like Yahoo. If you need to access the internet get a cheaper PDA phone. Please, lets stop throwing away those monies to foreign companies; it remind me of the days of our fore fore fathers, where mirrors were used to dazzle us.
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we most times publicly deny it and privately admit it that NIGERIANS ARE OPRESSORS, aba! they can show off…. necessary or not, they care less. most rich pple do things for no functional reason,
“my friend just bought it then i will acquire it,”
“my wife’s brother sent it, i will arrange mine.”
but a slice of the volume do things for a good reason to either make themselves happy or increase productivity.
it is just us, LOL
lol……..there you go again!!!!!! of course James would still be hungry if John were not a glutton. John is a glutton probably because he cant get enough of what is HIS. James is hungry because he has refused to work for, and equally own, that which came into John’s possession as a result of “hardwork”.
@ Ugo
Wao, each man with his pecularity.
It isn’t the passion of each man if he chooses to spend his money on those passions that I am concerned about
but the art of buying products because it carries much clout for the purpose of oppression – symptons include a formal illiterate man buying a PDA phone that he uses for calls only.
Another perspective could be if oppression actually makes you happy then you go for it. This mindset actually gives me the freaks
Well, I don’t know about those under the ‘Oppression syndrome’, but What about the guys who just absolutely must have the latest gadget? Someone once told me ‘A man must always have something that he spends money on that keeps him happy’. The speaker opined that it usually runs to wine or women for most men. He however, established his own passion as having the latest gadget – be it ‘Be the Man with the Bass’ or a plasma screen tv, or an IPod.
Personally, upgrading my phone to the latest in town grows less on my mind as I realize that the functions I use in a phone 95% of the time are simply the call, message and reminder functions. Having anything else is great, but if I invest my joy and happiness (not my money, mind you) on getting a function that has little utility most of the time, I feel let down after the initial novelty of the product has worn off.
Anyhow, I think your piece boils down to what people (think they) want most – either form or function. The answer obviously, is overwhelmingly … form! For whatever reason.
@ Bolaji
On point!
Thank God you answered those questions for yourself genuinely. That’s another attribute that is lacking in this society. People can stand up to defend what they believe…maybe only in their rooms!
But that question is for every individual to answer on a personal note. I provision Blackberry at the core and I wouldn’t doubt the importance of blackberry. I’m only saying that you should use it if you need it.
Yeah, sometimes, you don’t know you need somethings until you have it and try it out. But why subscribe to “aso-ebi” when you’re don’t have the means? Why borrow to buy what you don’t need?
These…all in the name of showing class… This is what I find fault in.
Thank you.
@ Ngozi
You have actually thrown in a new perspective on this issue (Oppression) and I am chewing on it.
The John and James allegory opens up a new discussion;
If James was not a glutton, would John be hungry?
Man your write-up on the Phone Tunes issue actually brings a smile to my lips this very good morning. downright realistic if u ask me. there’s another way of looking at it though – most people who would go out of their way to acquire “instruments of oppression” are people who cannot even lay claim to any other form of joy believe u me. forget all the trappings the eyes can see, these ones actually look at the middle-class or working-class if u may prefer and secretly wish they had some form of life, some form of happiness, some means of mixing with people who’d bring a little sunshine in. as such these little “joys” are all they have to hold on to. another way of looking at it is – hey these people acquire these cos they can well afford it, cos it would meet their needs, cos it makes them happy…………………they are not in any way responsible for the feelings/thoughts of the one who feels oppressed. (lest i forget, please forgive the fact that my piece lacks all the trappings of finesse – im writing in conversational english). look at it this way – the fact that John is a glutton is not the reason James is going hungry. Stay Blessed.
@ Bolaji
I use a K700i which has all the functionalities you stated above
I make use of it and I am looking for a better phone with better functionality.
I am attacking the oppression syndrome not the type of phone you use. I will encourage companies using sales force, engineers on the rig, etc to take advantage of BlackBerry because it will improve their business process by more than 80% and it will cost
less in the long run.
Blackberry is one of the best thing to happen to our country because it improves industry which leads to social development. ..
What phone are you using if I may ask? Camera phone? with blue-tooth and infrared? Do you use those functionalities?
Just asking…it’s good to use good phones. It reflects values in society of ours. It’s everywhere and it started from the church! Rating people based on what they wear, what the drive, where they eat-out etc.
I have not said anything…just asking questions, so please don’t take me to court o!
@ Emmanuel
Word, my friend.
Happiness is a function of knowledge thats why I am taking time to inform.
Taj,
You’ve got a nice thing going here. I quite see your point with the purchasing preferences of Nigerians. Purchasing stuff just because they can afford it and to show off; as against purchasing stuff because of their perceived and justifiable benefits.
Anyway, i’ve always been of the opinion that one can do whatever he likes with money; as long he has it and deems it fit to have something. Such people are ignorant about the fact that the money could be used for more judicious stuff but then again, they’re killing the ignorance of not knowing how such stuff (even though it’s not exactly beneficial to them) works.
It’s a typical example of entertainment/fun; one can’t really put a price tag on these.
To cut the story short, i’m an apostle of “If something makes you happy, don’t think too much about what it’ll cost to obtain such a thing. Just GET IT”