FCCPC Seals Supermarket For Selling Rice Filled With Weevils

…Takes Enforcement Drive To Check High Prices In Markets On Friday

In a bid to protect consumers from sharp practices of some supermarkets in the country, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, has sealed a major supermarket in the Federal Capital Territory for selling and hoarding bags of fake foreign rice and engaging in other sharp practices.

The Commission also evacuated 33 bags of fake stallion and caprice rice from one of the branches of the same supermarket in Wuse II, Abuja.

The rice was said to have been manufactured in 2022 and had an expiry date of 2027 written on the bags.

This move is a direct response to concerns raised by consumers about the rising costs of goods, which go against the recent strengthening of the naira.

The Commission said price discrepancies remain a significant issue.

Speaking during the raid of the 4U supermarket on Thursday in Abuja, the Acting Executive Vice Chairman of FCCPC, Dr Adamu Abdullahi stated that the company producing the said rice had stopped production since August, 2022.

Abdullahi who expressed concern over the unwholesome practices by the supermarket explained that necessary sanction would be issued after investigation.

“The raid is in continuation of our efforts to ensure that prices in the markets reflect what is being displayed because these days we’ve found out that there’s a lot of pretence in what’s happening in some major supermarkets around the major cities in the country,” he said.

According to him, the Commission has also concluded arrangements to raid some open major markets in the country begining from the FCT this Friday to checkmate the arbitrary increase in prices of consumables by some traders through their Market Unions and Associations.

“As from this Friday, you’ll see us in some open markets to find out what some Market Associations and Unions are doing because they sit down among themselves and fixed prices and this is not acceptable because they are forming cartel and this is not allowed in our law and we have to do our best to ensure that prices of food items and other commodities prices come down because we have the support of President Bola Tinubu and that of the Minister of Industries Trade and Investment to do that for both formal and informal markets to comply by the rules of engagement” the Executive Vice Chairman of FCCPC emphasized

He announced that a Price Tracker would be introduced to put an end to extortion of Nigerian consumers by major supermarkets in the country.

While reiterating the commitment towards ensuring that consumers have value for their money, Abdullahi warned manufacturers, producers and traders against sharp practices to avoid been sanctioned.

The Executive Vice Chairman of FCCPC also called for the support of all stakeholders in the fight against fake and substandard products in the country.

In an interview with newsmen after the raid, the General Manager of the Supermarket, Yunusa Yusuf who took responsibilities for the fake foreign rice promised to expose the suppliers.

Yusuf however pledged to henceforth abide by FCCPC regulations on consumer rights to avoid future occurrence.