Nigerians are thieves, say envoy of Greece and his wife

[Uwaa Sef]

Drama at Transcorp Hilton Hotel as Greece envoy, wife label Nigerians thieves
BY SAM EYOBOKA
Sunday, July 12, 2009

THE Greece ambassador in Nigeria,, Mr. Haris Dafaranos and his wife, Haralambo, at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, on Friday evening, labelled Nigerians thieves.

The couple were at the reception of the luxurious hotel when the wife found a wrist watch belonging to a customer of the hotel, Mr. Notore Kolagbodi, who had apparently forgotten it while checking out.

The security personnel on duty at the reception then requested for the wrist watch to be kept for the owner but the woman would not entertain any such intervention from the personnel.

Her reason for refusal, according to an eye witness, was that Nigerians are habitual thieves and so she could not trust the security people to hand it over to the owner. Even the intervention of the security manager on duty and several other guests could not persuade the ambassador’s wife to part with the wrist watch.

While the altercation was going on, the owner, Mr. Kolagbodi, returned and wanted to claim his wrist watch but the ambassador’s wife stood her ground, saying that the claimant must show her proof of ownership before she could give it to him.

At this stage, an uproar ensued as many exasperated Nigerians who had listened to the exchanges began to express anger at the affront of the woman who continually insisted that Nigerians are thieves. Sources quoted the husband as saying: “Nigerians are thieves. Can anyone of them deny that fact? What is the assurance that you guys did not connive to bring this fellow as the rightful owner of the wrist watch?”

There was an exchange of hot words but eventually the woman was persuaded to hand over the wrist watch to the owner while the Nigerians present wondered why an ambassador and his wife could be so undiplomatic in their utterances.

Greece and Nigeria enjoy close ties since Greece’ establishment of diplomatic mission in Nigeria in 1970 though trade between the two countries is imbalanced, with imports from Greece to Nigeria exceeding exports.

Greek-owned tankers have an important role in shipping Nigerian oil and natural gas, its main exports. Recently, a Greek tanker was involved a dispute over crude oil smuggling.

On March 25, 2009, Dafaranos stated that Greece will continue to explore new areas of co-operation and boost cultural, economic, scientific and technological ties with Nigeria.

Source: http://odili.net/news/source/2009/jul/12/316.html


Later

[VOR]

Do you agree with this statement from the ambassador and his wife Uwas Sef?

[emj]

There was an exchange of hot words but eventually the woman was persuaded to hand over the wrist watch to the owner while the Nigerians present wondered why an ambassador and his wife could be so undiplomatic in their utterances.

Very undiplomatic....i demand an apology

On a very serious note, that's stereotyping and am surprised that her hubby did not call her to order.......it is very crass to say the least

The Minister of Foreign Affairs shld summon him to his office and tongue lash him..then demand a public apology...and if he refuses, shld be ordered out of our shores..nonsense...
If we're thieves, what are they doing here?

[Bill Carson]

Was there a big fat Greek wedding taking place in Hilton Abuja? The bride & Groom should “Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts” for they are mostly thieves…
I done revenge for my people 9ja ( Next topic)

[Uwaa Sef]

The Minister of Foreign Affairs shld summon him to his office and tongue lash him..then demand a public apology...and if he refuses, shld be ordered out of our shores..

Yes, as the first lesson in Rebranding 101.

Later

[chanchaga]

The ambassador and his wife can call Nigerians thieves because we are weak as a people, weak as a government and weak in all endeavours. Please refer to this statement in the report.

"Greece and Nigeria enjoy close ties since Greece’ establishment of diplomatic mission in Nigeria in 1970 though trade between the two countries is imbalanced, with imports from Greece to Nigeria exceeding exports."

These people have economic power over our dear country just as British Airways whom its CEO declared this morning that they are cutting more than 3,000 jobs. They continue to make Nigeria a haven of exploitation because our leaders can be bought easily. Nigeria's heads of bilateral trade sign unfavourable terms of agreement at the expense of the country.

It is only in Nigeria an ambassador can call Nigerians thieves and nothing will happen. Can an American diplomat call Chinese people thieves in China???

[Uwaa Sef]

I would even think that this brand of insult is more in-your-face than the BA brand. No?

Later

[Austin]

I would even think that this brand of insult is more in-your-face than the BA brand. No?

Later

Uwa sef

Do insults now come in brand ?

[lateesha]

even our area boys and agberos did nothing to the woman?

[HolyPagan]

Shuo dis wan na small matta....

Who does not know that Greeks are sheep shagging, greasy pedo thieves...now hows dat for upping the ante...

what is all dis blowing of grammar....she curse us....we curse am back.
Maybe her houseboy let it slip Madam was making passes at him, this is her revenge.

[Uwaa Sef]

Do you agree with this statement from the ambassador and his wife Uwas Sef?

Either way, I'd be lying, and I don't want to lie.

Later

[HolyPagan]

Either way, I'd be lying, and I don't want to lie.

Later

Yu sef...na waa for you

[emj]

Either way, I'd be lying, and I don't want to lie.

Later

I seeeeee....hmmm
So why did u bring this to our attention?

[Auspicious]

Very undiplomatic....i demand an apology

On a very serious note, that's stereotyping and am surprised that her hubby did not call her to order.......it is very crass to say the least

The Minister of Foreign Affairs shld summon him to his office and tongue lash him..then demand a public apology...and if he refuses, shld be ordered out of our shores..nonsense...
If we're thieves, what are they doing here?

I agree.

But I heard Eezeebee say the same thing to a Pelo Naijeriyan the other day.

You think I am lying? Watch: Hngh! (Touches Tongue and points at Sky), Ogun ree..

{Auspy Bails Out!}

Auspicious.

[emj]

I agree.

But I heard Eezeebee say the same thing to a Pelo Naijeriyan the other day.

You think I am lying? Watch: Hngh! (Touches Tongue and points at Sky), Ogun ree..

{Auspy Bails Out!}

Auspicious.

Hmmm, come back hia...Wey ur evidence/proof

[Uwaa Sef]

So why did u bring this to our attention?

...to seek your thoughts.

Later

[VOR]

Countess, thank you and God bless you o! I thought I was the only one who wondered why.

Here is a story about foreigners labelling EVERY Nigerian a thief and a villager comes, posts the report and moves on as if saying, wan ba nyi wi o (dem dey talk to una) as if the insult is not andco, its not directed at him, you, I and every other Nigerian. Let us read and move on!

I tire for Nigerians no be small! I was waiting for BA to be dropped somewhere on this thread and voila - reference is made to BA. Now, what is this fellow expecting? Why can't he do something about it? Why do Nigerians find it hard to stand up and buy back some dignity for themselves? Is it now bog standard for every foreigner to insult Nigerians and we will use it as oshun ta ma fi para? (ointment to rub on the body)

I was shocked that the people at the scene did not deal ruthlessly with the ambassador and his silly wife - walahi, I know if I was present she would have got the greatest tongue lashing she's ever experienced in her life - what nonsense!! ti iya nla ba gbeni shan le...

The other day, villager Igboamaeze called for a boycott of glo because he felt offended that his people had been ignored in an advert. Now, this is what we are talking about - fight for your dignity not come here to be lamenting daily about the ills of Nigeria!!! Tomorrow now, another one will come and call Nigerians thieves and we will still siddon dey look. Who knows what is published in Greece's guide for people planning to visit Nigeria? These third rate countries seems to think they can rubbish Nigerians because why? They know our leaders are docile and the led even more docile - enough already!!

We cannot keep waiting for others to fix our problems, we need to start taking a stand -against internal and external abusers and oppressors.

Just today, about 2.30pm I placed a call to Abuja Nigeria, the person I was talking to said he was stuck in traffic, I could hear a lot of noise in the background and the person I was talking to sounded worried. I asked what was going on, only for him to tell me police officers had just killed 3 students in Duba area of Abuja and the students had condoned off the road in protest and things were getting volatile by the minute. I asked the person to find me one of the students to speak with, I managed to speak to one of the student leaders on the scene, got information and passed it on. Already, reporters have been informed and I will be speaking to the Force's PRO later today or tomorrow for an investigation into this incident. If we need to make noise to ensure those officers are reprimanded, I have got my loudspeaker at the ready!! My point? We need to stop this laid back attitude waiting for a messiah to rescue us from all the ills affecting our country and society! We no longer have that priviledge....if we wait on others and others are waiting on others -nothing will get done!!

Do something!! Obama has told you people to DO SOMETHING and stop waiting on others!!!!. God did not come down to fight the wars of the children of Israel, they fought their wars and defeated their enemies because God had given them the heads of their enemies. God did not physically come down to fight!

I seeeeee....hmmm
So why did u bring this to our attention?

[AISAGBON OMOGIADE]

I dont know of any woman called Haralambo in Greece.Female names end with the letter "a" or "i". Could that be her maiden name?

[emj]

...to seek your thoughts.

Later

Eherm , now that u've seen our thoughts..Quo Vadis?

[emj]

Countess, thank you and God bless you o! I thought I was the only one who wondered why.

Here is a story about foreigners labelling EVERY Nigerian a thief and a villager comes, posts the report and moves on as if saying, wan ba nyi wi o (dem dey talk to una) as if the insult is not andco, its not directed at him, you, I and every other Nigerian. Let us read and move on!

I tire for Nigerians no be small! I was waiting for BA to be dropped somewhere on this thread and voila - reference is made to BA. Now, what is this fellow expecting? Why can't he do something about it? Why do Nigerians find it hard to stand up and buy back some dignity for themselves? Is it now bog standard for every foreigner to insult Nigerians and we will use it as oshun ta ma fi para? (ointment to rub on the body)

I was shocked that the people at the scene did not deal ruthlessly with the ambassador and his silly wife - walahi, I know if I was present she would have got the greatest tongue lashing she's ever experienced in her life - what nonsense!! ti iya nla ba gbeni shan le...

The other day, villager Igboamaeze called for a boycott of glo because he felt offended that his people had been ignored in an advert. Now, this is what we are talking about - fight for your dignity not come here to be lamenting daily about the ills of Nigeria!!! Tomorrow now, another one will come and call Nigerians thieves and we will still siddon dey look. Who knows what is published in Greece's guide for people planning to visit Nigeria? These third rate countries seems to think they can rubbish Nigerians because why? They know our leaders are docile and the led even more docile - enough already!!

We cannot keep waiting for others to fix our problems, we need to start taking a stand -against internal and external abusers and oppressors.

Just today, about 2.30pm I placed a call to Abuja Nigeria, the person I was talking to said he was stuck in traffic, I could hear a lot of noise in the background and the person I was talking to sounded worried. I asked what was going on, only for him to tell me police officers had just killed 3 students in Duba area of Abuja and the students had condoned off the road in protest and things were getting volatile by the minute. I asked the person to find me one of the students to speak with, I managed to speak to one of the student leaders on the scene, got information and passed it on. Already, reporters have been informed and I will be speaking to the Force's PRO later today or tomorrow for an investigation into this incident. If we need to make noise to ensure those officers are reprimanded, I have got my loudspeaker at the ready!! My point? We need to stop this laid back attitude waiting for a messiah to rescue us from all the ills affecting our country and society! We no longer have that priviledge....if we wait on others and others are waiting on others -nothing will get done!!

Do something!! Obama has told you people to DO SOMETHING and stop waiting on others!!!!. God did not come down to fight the wars of the children of Israel, they fought their wars and defeated their enemies because God had given them the heads of their enemies. God did not physically come down to fight!

Hmmm, somebodi nicked my chewing gum....can u help me pull their ears?

Not till Nigerians in Nigeria and where ever they find themselves reject stereo-typing, it will continue. They all stood there like ajami lopa :drool:when she was saying unprintable things..am sure she must have said plenty, plus including her Husband who is the Ambassador to Nigeria.

Nigerians get off ur Butts and do something, no matter how small......

[Simbili]

Nigerians again?

When will this disgrace stop?

[Uwaa Sef]

Uwa sef

Do insults now come in brand ?

Duh.

Later

[AISAGBON OMOGIADE]

I dont know of any woman called Haralambo in Greece.Female names end with the letter "a" or "i". Could that be her maiden name?

I have just been informed that the Greek ambassador to Nigeria is one Dafaranos Haralambo.It would therfore, have been apprioprate if the author added the prefix of "Mrs." before the name of his wife.
That sweeping statement any how is unfortunate and more unfortunate is the fact that there has not been an official reaction from the ministry of External Affairs many weeks after the publication of the incident.

[Exponent]

She insulted you.

Write a letter to her husband's boss.

duh

[chanchaga]

I have just been informed that the Greek ambassador to Nigeria is one Dafaranos Haralambo.It would therfore, have been apprioprate if the author added the prefix of "Mrs." before the name of his wife.
That sweeping statement any how is unfortunate and more unfortunate is the fact that there has not been an official reaction from the ministry of External Affairs many weeks after the publication of the incident.

Aisagbon,
Insult na insult, forget the Mrs or no Mrs. Secondly, Nigeria's foreign ministry is dormant, we do not have any trained diplomat. The staff are all thinking of how to travel to the big entertainment centres worldwide known as Nigerian Embassies and High Commissions. If you want a reaction, you must act yourself or via a group.

[Uwaa Sef]

Countess, thank you and God bless you o! I thought I was the only one who wondered why.

Here is a story about foreigners labelling EVERY Nigerian a thief and a villager comes, posts the report and moves on as if saying, wan ba nyi wi o (dem dey talk to una) as if the insult is not andco, its not directed at him, you, I and every other Nigerian. Let us read and move on!

I tire for Nigerians no be small! I was waiting for BA to be dropped somewhere on this thread and voila - reference is made to BA. Now, what is this fellow expecting? Why can't he do something about it? Why do Nigerians find it hard to stand up and buy back some dignity for themselves? Is it now bog standard for every foreigner to insult Nigerians and we will use it as oshun ta ma fi para? (ointment to rub on the body)

I was shocked that the people at the scene did not deal ruthlessly with the ambassador and his silly wife - walahi, I know if I was present she would have got the greatest tongue lashing she's ever experienced in her life - what nonsense!! ti iya nla ba gbeni shan le...

The other day, villager Igboamaeze called for a boycott of glo because he felt offended that his people had been ignored in an advert. Now, this is what we are talking about - fight for your dignity not come here to be lamenting daily about the ills of Nigeria!!! Tomorrow now, another one will come and call Nigerians thieves and we will still siddon dey look. Who knows what is published in Greece's guide for people planning to visit Nigeria? These third rate countries seems to think they can rubbish Nigerians because why? They know our leaders are docile and the led even more docile - enough already!!

We cannot keep waiting for others to fix our problems, we need to start taking a stand -against internal and external abusers and oppressors.

Just today, about 2.30pm I placed a call to Abuja Nigeria, the person I was talking to said he was stuck in traffic, I could hear a lot of noise in the background and the person I was talking to sounded worried. I asked what was going on, only for him to tell me police officers had just killed 3 students in Duba area of Abuja and the students had condoned off the road in protest and things were getting volatile by the minute. I asked the person to find me one of the students to speak with, I managed to speak to one of the student leaders on the scene, got information and passed it on. Already, reporters have been informed and I will be speaking to the Force's PRO later today or tomorrow for an investigation into this incident. If we need to make noise to ensure those officers are reprimanded, I have got my loudspeaker at the ready!! My point? We need to stop this laid back attitude waiting for a messiah to rescue us from all the ills affecting our country and society! We no longer have that priviledge....if we wait on others and others are waiting on others -nothing will get done!!

Do something!! Obama has told you people to DO SOMETHING and stop waiting on others!!!!. God did not come down to fight the wars of the children of Israel, they fought their wars and defeated their enemies because God had given them the heads of their enemies. God did not physically come down to fight!

This is typical example of an Ariaria market approach to nationalism. Prudence and common sense would dictate that, first of all, you establish that I give a darn bloody hoot about what people say about our hell hole of a country (and I don't) before expecting me to initiate the usual one-man (five-man at best) nationalistic crusade. Why then did I bring it to your notice? For your enjoyment, for its entertainment value via your thoughts - no more, no less.

On your Igbo-Igboamaeze-Glo example, please note that from a business perspective, it is said that "the customer is always right" (to a point, in my opinion), therefore, to humor the Igbo with a mere mention in an advert, is the very least a business can do to keep their patronage. As long as you do not cut deeply into its profit margin, a business will do and undo just about anything to keep your money coming in. Besides, I would have sworn the Igbo were way past seeking mere mention in an ad. I was under the impression that the Igbo were up to bigger and better things. It's not like the Igbo business acumen is not recognized and reckoned with globally, and here we were, organizing a boycott for not being mentioned in an advert - something a one-line email from one person would handle. Anyway, not to digress....

You expect me to be part of a moronic and elusive quest for respect when we don't deserve any respect. You see, I fight the Nigerian degradation war on a personal level, and that's it for me until there's a scheme for a revolution somewhere in the horizon, if ever.

Your Obama do-something speech, if I recall correctly, was made in Ghana, but Ghana did not get to this point merely by its citizens totting loudspeakers all over the place. It took Jerry Rawlings for starters, but in Nigeria, we can't even remand our sacred cows in custody, not to talk of sending them to prison.

As it is, it will take someone of Jerry Rawlings' mettle (not mine, I concede) to sanitize the Nigerian psyche first, before we're able to show something for demanding respect. Yes, it's that bad for us - at least, I think so.

Later

[Uwaa Sef]

emj,

You started brilliantly on this thread, but ended up getting dumbed down in the ladies room. You didn't have to go along to get along, you know - especially, when you risked getting bogged down with infantilism.

Later

[emj]

emj,

You started brilliantly on this thread, but ended up getting dumbed down in the ladies room. You didn't have to go along to get along, you know - especially, when you risked getting bogged down with infantilism.

Later

Hmm, are u for real? There i was thinking u had something intelligent in mind.....my bad....ur oni bara(beggar) sef has carried his turai kai(strong head, jibiti) pass da mosque.
When next i see a thread with u as the starter, i will give it a wide berth....i use to think that u're a well focused person...ur comments shows that u're not...i will leave u to continue to pick ur teeth.......looks like there are too many bipolar personalities on board


PS.I>>...Unlike u, we get off our black flat bum to do something and not just post for it's entertainment value alone...HNTSYL

PS..II...When next u feel like pissing me and Olori Vor off, think twice...am barely restraining myself from whopping ur sorry azz....yes i can.

PS..III...whenever u next feel like teeing off with your fingers....make sure that ur thoughts are well aligned from beginning to the end...becos not only will we set u right, the whooshing u will receive will last almost a life time...hope we're clear?

Abtw, i care about what is said about the nation Nigeria, whether am in or away...Am a Nigerian First.

[VOR]

Countess o...........I don laff tire...what does one make of Uwa's post up there now? Sometimes we wonder and then the person speaks/writes and removes all doubt . I mean someone says he doesn't give a damn his entire lineage is referred to as thieves because he is fighting a one-man-war what do you do/say to such a person....You cannot force dignity on a person you know?

Abeg pity am you hear......he fancies himself the Frank Olize of NVS...yeye de boom (apologies the Don)

[AISAGBON OMOGIADE]

The View of a columnist with the Nigerian Tribune.

The Greek Ambassador called me a thief:- Nosa Osaigbovo



The Greek Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Haris Dafaranos, and his wife called me a thief last Friday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja. Well, I was not really there and cannot say that Mr. Dafaranos looked as fierce as a rhino rubbed up the wrong way. Mrs. Haralambo—certainly not as nice as the priestess Salammbo in Gustave Flaubert’s Salammbo—Dafaranos may have spoken with the shriek of a soused siren.

Mr. Dafaranos and his wife were not drunk. They were as sober as Lord Elgin, British Ambassador to Turkey from 1799 to 1803, when he appropriated the Parthenon’s ancient sculptures. Greece was then under the heel of Turkey, the seat of the Ottoman Empire. The sculptures remain in the British Museum as the Elgin Marbles.

Ambassador Dafaranos, according to a report in Sunday Vanguard, told a group of Nigerians at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel lobby, ‘Nigerians are thieves.’ His wife had taken firm possession of an expensive wristwatch apparently mislaid by an absent-minded Nigerian and Mr. Dafaranos agreed with her that none of the Nigerians present, including the security manager of the hotel, could be trusted to deliver it to its owner. He said the country had a culture of crookery. When the owner of the wristwatch appeared, Mrs. Dafaranos said that being a Nigerian, he must be an impostor.

There is apparently no dishonest Greek. So Professor Chronis Polychroniou, a Greek, must have lied when he wrote only last year: ‘Graft and corruption have always been an integral part of Greece’s political culture.’

In the 1980s, the Pakistani High Commissioner to Nigeria said it was a scandal that Nigeria could not feed itself. He said Pakistan was a place of plenty and that nobody went hungry in his country. An editorial in the Daily Sketch demanded that the Nigerian authorities ask for his recall. A more polished high commissioner was sent to Nigeria as his replacement not long after.