Soludo Shuts Onitsha Main Market Over Sit-at-Home, Threatens One-Month Closure
With billions of naira lost weekly to enforced inactivity, Anambra State is drawing a hard line against what it calls economic sabotage.
Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has ordered the immediate closure of Onitsha Main Market over continued compliance with the illegal Monday sit-at-home order.
The market, one of West Africa’s largest commercial hubs, will remain shut for one week initially. However, the state government has warned that the closure could be extended to one month if traders fail to fully resume operations by next Monday.
Government officials said the move is aimed at restoring economic activity and ending what they described as a culture of fear that continues to cripple businesses across the state.
“This is about restoring law, order and economic sanity,” a senior official said, stressing that the sit-at-home directive has no legal backing and only emboldens criminal elements.
The government also warned market unions, transport operators and individuals against enforcing or promoting the sit-at-home, saying violators will face legal and regulatory sanctions.
Security agencies have been placed on high alert to enforce the directive and protect traders willing to open their shops.
While some traders welcomed the tough stance, others expressed safety concerns, citing past violence linked
to resistance against sit-at-home orders.
The state government, however, assured residents of enhanced security and urged traders to cooperate in the interest of economic stability.
Follow the Savinews Africa channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VawgaEL5vKA9Y5
