High Commission to Sanction Workers Barring Nigerians from Indian School

The Indian High Commission in Nigeria has promised to sanction workers at the Ilupeju Indian Language School, Lagos, who refused The punch Corresponding access to the school facilities for consultations.

Following online reports that the school was not admitting or welcoming Nigerians on its premises, our correspondent on Monday headed to the school to investigate the claims.

While reacting to a post by @DejiAdesogan on Sunday, which bordered on discrimination against Nigerians in an Abuja-based Chinese store, an X user @decommonroom, shared his experience about the Lagos Indian School.

He wrote: “The Ilupeju Indian School only admits Indians. You need an Indian passport to register.”

In another conversation with our correspondent, the user said, “My experience with the Indian international school in Ilupeju dates back to when my school had a debate competition with them in 2009. I found out that there were only Indian students. I was curious to know why, because my school was also an international school and was run by a foreign embassy with mainly expat children and few Nigerians. “I was then informed that his passport was a prerequisite for admission.”

When our correspondent visited the school on Monday, security officers denied him entry, claiming that they were acting on instructions from a receptionist.

When our correspondent asked to make inquiries about his uncle, who had two children and wanted to enroll them in school, one of the security men asked: “But is your uncle an Indian man?”

“They said as a Nigerian, they (the management) cannot serve you. Then the person should come, the Indian person,” another security man added, saying that was the response of an unidentified administrative worker, said to be an Indian.

Responding to our correspondent’s questions on Tuesday, the Chief Press Officer of the High Commission of India in Abuja, Vipul Mesariya, said the commission was shocked by our reporter’s experience.

Vipul said, “We are shocked to know that he was not allowed to enter the school. “We are disciplining the security guard and the receptionist because they did not have the authority to make such a decision.”

On Tuesday, the owner of an Abuja-based Chinese supermarket, criticized for banning entry to Nigerians, refuted claims that her store was meant only for a specific group of people.

He clarified that his establishment was not a supermarket but a retail store intended to meet the essential needs of his local community.

The owner of the store, Liu Bei, said in a statement: “My store is at Royal Choice Estate, Airport Road, Abuja. It is a small retail store, not a supermarket like SHOPRITE. I mainly sell things to community residents and people who work here. Sometimes some visitors come to my store to buy something after visiting the company in the office building, regardless of their nationality.

“I do not discriminate against any Nigerian, I even have several local employees in my store and we have a good relationship. However, for security reasons, the community has requirements for visitors, so not everyone can enter the community directly.

“I am sorry for the altercation between the security guard and the visitor in the video. “Two Nigerians came to my store that day to buy something and I sold to them.”

His reaction followed a notice of summons and threatened sanctions from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission on Monday after he sealed his store.

April 24, 2024