Sarkinmota, who appeared on Channels TV on Wednesday, said his critics misunderstood his message.
Alamin Sarkinmota, the Abuja-based luxury car dealer whose viral TikTok video questioned whether Nigerian civil servants could afford a 2023 Mercedes-Benz, has responded to the National Orientation Agency's warning.
Sarkinmota, who appeared on Channels TV on Wednesday, said his critics misunderstood his message.
He maintained that he was only using satire to highlight a national economic crisis that affects even his own parents.
In one of his viral videos, Sarkinmota showcased a brand new 2023 Mercedes-Benz C300 with built-in Artificial Intelligence. He asked the car, "Can civil servants afford you?" The vehicle replied, "No. Maybe in 2062."
The National Orientation Agency subsequently issued a letter to the TikToker.
The letter, signed by its Director-General, Lanre Issa-Onilu, accused Sarkinmota of mocking public servants and promoting a get-rich-at-all-cost mentality.
The letter read, "At a time when Nigerians are passing through so much social pressure and in an environment where get-rich-at-all-cost syndrome is pervasive and material things are being promoted over and above dignity of labour, it is wrong to be speaking in such condescending terms about Nigerian civil servants."
But speaking on Channels TV, Sarkinmota denied being privileged or intending to mock anyone.
He narrated how he built his business from the ground up as a son of civil servants.
He said, "About the privilege, I will have to clearly state that since when I started my business since 2019, nobody has given me a handout, nobody has given me a dime. I started my business like someone who goes out to look for customer for other people's cars. They give you N50,000. N100,000. N150,000. That was how I gathered money and bought my first car, Peugeot 307.
"So in terms of privilege, I don't have privilege. It will shock you that both of my parents are actually civil servants. Sometimes I am looking for their trouble when they see my videos. So no privilege."
"To all civil servants, I want to say that my intentions to you are very positive. I love you people more than you actually love me. My intention is to make each and every one of you a car owner," he added.
SaharaReporters earlier reported how Nigerian netizens also expressed their support for Sarkinmoto’s style of marketing.
They described him as a voice of uncomfortable truth in a country where most public servants can barely feed their families, let alone dream of buying a luxury vehicle.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, users lashed out at the NOA for what they described as an embarrassing overreaction and an attempt to silence a reality check.
@Aliyyyou posted, "This is a dictatorship warning. Allow this man to do his job. In other countries, civil servants can afford such vehicles. Why can’t you as a federal government make your own civil servants able to afford them? Leaving them in miserable conditions where they can hardly afford food."
@danielamos69878 wrote, "What a useless country. Was he lying? They don't want the truth. We are slaves even in our own country. Let’s see if they’ll be buried with all the stolen money. What they refuse to fix will come back to haunt them."
Another user, @Olanrew47187818, said, "See a daft response from an irresponsible government agency. The question is, can a Nigerian civil servant afford to buy those cars being advertised by the gentleman? The answer is capital No. Because their monthly earnings cannot even feed their immediate family."
"Both of my parents are civil servants, and my goal is to make each and every civil servant a car owner," says Aliyu Mohammed, Sarkin Mota. He mentions his intentions with civil servants are very positive for his content videos. 😊 pic.twitter.com/tbWTsmVffN
— Imran Muhammad (@Imranmuhdz) June 4, 2025