The Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) has vowed to sanction Sterling Bank Plc over a controversial advert which compared the resurrection of Jesus Christ to Agege bread.
In commemoration of the Easter celebration, the bank had published an advert that said, “Like Agege Bread, He Rose”.
The post was shared on the bank’s pages across various social media platforms.
The development generated a lot of angry reactions on social media, particularly from adherents of the Christian faith.
Many people who reacted in the social media demanded that the post be pulled down, describing it as insensitive and insulting to Christians.
They also asked the bank to tender an apology.
The bank complied by pulling down the offensive post and replacing it with another one. The bank also tendered an apology.
Referencing John 8:7, the new post said, “…Let he who has never sinned cast the first stone”.
“Forgive us in the spirit of Easter!
“Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. We humbly celebrate His resurrection, the defeat of death and the hope of salvation,” the bank added in the new post.
However, in a statement sighted on Monday, APCON condemned the bank’s action.
The statement signed by Registrar Olalekan Fadolapo said APCON “will take necessary actions to ensure that Sterling Bank is sanctioned” for the development.
“The Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) has observed with displeasure the insensitive and provocative Easter celebration advertisement by Sterling Bank Plc which compared the resurrection of Christ with Agege Bread.
“The distasteful advertisement was neither submitted nor approved for exposure by the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP), the statutory Panel charged with the responsibility of ensuring that advertisements conform with the prevailing laws of the federation as well as the code of ethics of Advertising in Nigeria,” the statement said.
APCON added that it would ensure “that no religious belief or faith is ridiculed by any blasphemous advertisement exposed in any guise.”
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