LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission on Monday sealed an Abuja-based Chinese supermarket following allegations from Nigerians over discriminatory practices.
It was said that the supermarket restricted entry to only Chinese nationals, barring Nigerians.
A video posted online by X Dialy where an unidentified FCT resident was expressing her discontent about the discriminatory policy by the Chinese establishment went viral.
The supermarket located at the China Chamber of Commerce along Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Road (Airport Road) in Abuja, is acclaimed as a destination for Chinese cuisine and beverages.
A newspaper had on Sunday reported that the supermarket had implemented a controversial policy restricting entry solely to Chinese nationals, excluding Nigerians from patronising the establishment.
Nigerians on social media platforms have expressed their displeasure over the discriminatory treatment.
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Reacting on Monday, the commission led by Mrs. Boladale Adeyinka, the Director of Surveillance and Investigation, stated that the directive is to further investigate why Nigerians are been denied access to the supermarket following the content on a viral video.
When asked if found guilty of such practices, the commission said the supermarket is subjected to sactions, for such act does not foster good relationships.
She said: “The essence of the surveillance and investigation that we conducted today is to verify the allegations and the content of that viral video.
“On arrival, we noticed that the supermarket which is right behind me, was sealed and padlocked externally. Inquiries have shown that yes, as this morning this supermarket was open and people were here.
“CCTV footage also shows that in the morning, two vehicles departed from these very premises allegedly containing the owner of the supermarket, whom we have been able to identify by name and we have her contact details.”
Adeyinka ordered the owner to appear before the commission by Wednesday, and sealed the premises till further notice to serve as a message of her unavailability.
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“Now the summons of course, since she’s not around and the place is locked, is to serve notice on her to appear before the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission by Wednesday.
“There are other regulatory tools to be deployed if she fails to attend to this summon. The summons means that on entering into these premises, they must see the summons because that is how they gain access to it,” she said.
She further said that if the owner of the supermarket failed to compel to the summons, the commission will employ lawful tools.
“There are other regulatory tools that can be deployed if she fails to attend to this summons,” she added.
Sanusi Shuabiu, the estate assistant Facilities Manager, has clarified that the supermarket is to cater for co-tenants and also sells Chinese groceries.
Shuaibu also claimed that the supermarket is not limited to everyone and debunked all sort of biased treatments.
He said, “The report is not completely true. The estate is residential and we have an office complex that we rent out to tenants. The supermarket was rented to Chinese for residence and selling groceries to cater for the needs of the occupants here. It is a small place where they mainly sell Chinese foodstuff.
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“The owners of the supermarket are tenants in these premises. They live and sell their goods in the building. They don’t own anything in this place. They are Chinese individuals and they have been here for two years. There are other tenants too who do other businesses and live here. Everyone here is a tenant. The Chamber of Commerce itself is just a small office.
“We didn’t know anything about the policy at all, if not we would have asked them to move out so that they don’t give a bad name. Some people have been staying here for more than eight years and we have not had any issues. If we had known about it before now, they would have been asked to move out or allow everyone to patronise them.
The China General Chamber Of Commerce, which is in the Royal Choice Estate like the supermarket, denied assertions of any form of discrimination or protocols denying Nigerians access to the supermarket to purchase items. .
The CGCC stated this in a statement signed by the management and titled, “REJOINDER: Response to Allegations of Discrimination at Chinese Supermarket” on Monday in Abuja.
“The chamber also explained that the residential area of the estate consists of privately occupied residences and access for external visitors must adhere to security protocols for safety reasons,” Punch reported.
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The statement read in full, “The China General Chamber of Commerce and the supermarket are completely unrelated entities. The residential area of the estate consists of privately occupied residences. Access for external visitors must adhere to security protocols for safety reasons. The supermarket manager asserts that no individual was subjected to discrimination or denied access to the estate or supermarket to purchase groceries.”
It added, “The altercation at the estate’s entrance gate between the security personnel and a customer is regrettable and does not in any way reflect the official position of the estate management. The China General Chamber of Commerce is an organization that believes in equality and inclusiveness. Our principles are to enhance friendship between the people of both countries and promote economic development. Seeing is believing. We welcome firsthand visits to witness the truth.”