Thousands of Shoprite customers were yesterday turned back as the Lagos State Government shut the premises for breaching safety laws and regulation standard. Disappointed customers waited endlessly for many hours as the state safety commission sealed the retail outlet for contravening the safety standard set by the state government.
Although the Director General of the commission could not be reached, an official of the commission who pleaded anonymity, said the state government clamped on the multi-billion naira outlet for failing to observe “simple” safety standard. “When we talk of safety, it is all about the people. Government can’t fold its arms and allow illegality to persist unchallenged. “But one of the reasons for the closure of the shoprite was due to the sale of expired products and others,” the official said.
When Saturday Telegraph visited the retail outlet yesterday evening, none of the customers was allowed to enter the premises as the entrance door was sealed with sticker of the commission. On the sticker was a statement from the commission which read:
“This premises had been sealed following the breach of the safety law. This seal must not be broken. For further enquiries, contact the commission.” Meanwhile, some of the disappointed customers, who expressed dismay over the incident, lamented the closure. A customer, who identified herself as Nike, said, like other hundreds of customers, she was terribly disappointed. “Why? What did they do? Have they started selling fake product or what? Oh! Why today? This is not good for us.
We can’t do weekend shopping,” he said. But another source in the commission told Saturday Telegraph that the premises was shut, following complaints by some customers over sale of expired products. “There have been complaint by some residents that Shoprite sells expired products. That’s why and the agency has also warned them on some of the unsafe practices,” the source said. New Telegraph
