The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has sealed off an Abuja-based Chinese supermarket for discriminatory practices and initiating investigations into the conduct of the owners.
The supermarket, located along Airport Road, was found to have implemented a policy restricting entry solely to Chinese nationals, thereby barring Nigerians from patronising the establishment. This discriminatory policy sparked widespread condemnation across various social media platforms.
In response to complaints from Nigerians, the FCCPC conducted discreet investigations, leading to the sealing of the supermarket.
Boladale Adeyinka, the Director for Surveillance and Investigation at FCCPC, expressed the commission’s commitment to addressing the issue.
She stated that the owner of the supermarket, a Chinese lady, Cindy Liu Bei, fled on Monday at 8:26 am with her family as confirmed on the Closed-Circuit Television camera.
Adeyinka 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.”
Further action was taken as the owner of the supermarket, identified as Cindy Liu Bei, failed to appear before the commission despite being summoned.
“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.
The discriminatory policy implemented by the Chinese supermarket garnered attention after reports surfaced of Nigerians being denied entry while only Chinese nationals were allowed to shop. Security personnel at the supermarket confirmed the implementation of the policy, citing directives from management.
The officer said, “For now, they (management) have stopped everything. The truth is that they are selling, but they said our people should stop coming. They said only Chinese individuals are allowed to shop here. The shop is only meant for Chinese people. People were allowed to come in throughout last year, but since January, they changed the policy and directed that no Nigerian is allowed to enter.
“We were not informed of any reason for the policy, but we have told them to remove all adverts from the Internet so that people would stop coming.”
Quest Times reports that the China General Chamber Of Commerce (CGCC), located in the same estate as the supermarket, denied allegations of discrimination. The chamber stated that access to the estate and supermarket adhered to security protocols and emphasized its commitment to equality and inclusiveness.
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.”
