ONITSHA: Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered the immediate closure of the Onitsha Main Market for one week over the continued observance of the Monday sit-at-home by traders.
Soludo gave the directive on Monday during a visit to the market, describing the refusal of traders and market leaders to open for business as a clear violation of government orders.
According to the governor, the action represents one of the most decisive efforts to determine who controls economic activities in the South-East on Mondays.
“The enemy is the long-standing, fear-enforced Monday sit-at-home order — a ghostly mandate from non-state actors that has strangled businesses and normalised weekly shutdowns for years,” Soludo said.
He noted that despite repeated assurances of improved security and appeals to traders to reclaim public spaces, many shop owners once again kept their stalls locked.
The governor said the empty market reflected a lingering atmosphere of fear and apprehension, stressing that government would not tolerate actions that undermine public safety and official efforts to restore normalcy.
Soludo warned that if the market failed to reopen after the one-week shutdown, it would be sealed for a month, with further sanctions to follow.
“You either decide that you are going to trade here or you go elsewhere. I am very serious about this,” he said.
Security operatives drawn from the police, army and other agencies were deployed to secure the market, turning away traders who attempted to gain access.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State Government has commenced pro-rata salary payments for workers across the state as part of efforts to counter the economic effects of the sit-at-home enforced by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
