A troubling report has emerged alleging that the management of a Chinese supermarket in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, is implementing an unofficial policy that prohibits Nigerian citizens from shopping in their store.
Reports indicate that the China General Chamber of Commerce, located along Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Road in Abuja, is home to the supermarket boasting a wide selection of Chinese delicacies and drinks, catering primarily to the Chinese community.
To verify the validity of the allegations, reporters made their way to the Chinese supermarket on Sunday. Upon arrival, the reporters sought confirmation from security personnel stationed at the entrance, who promptly confirmed the existence of such a discriminatory policy, which had been reportedly put into effect at the start of the year without any clear rationale provided by the 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.”
Also, a video circulating online shows a man, whose identity has yet to be confirmed, sharing his experience at the same supermarket where he was purportedly barred from entering the premises because he was not Chinese. The unidentified individual, visibly upset, expressed his frustration at this discriminatory treatment and claimed that such acts of racial prejudice should not be tolerated on Nigerian soil.
The man said, “This must be a joke. Does that mean as a Nigerian, I do not have the right to enter a public place. As a Nigerian, I definitely cannot try this in China.”
While the situation remains unresolved, the Punch news outlet reported that their correspondent reached out to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission for comment. However, the Senior Public Relations Officer, Nicholas Utsalo, was constrained by the protocol that restricted any communication with the press, except through the Executive Vice Chairman. Nevertheless, Utsalo pledged to investigate the matter upon being provided with the viral video evidence and urged the public to remain patient as the commission worked towards a solution.
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