Sit-at-home: Soludo Orders One-Week Shutdown Of Onitsha Market

In a decisive move to curb what it described as economic sabotage, the Anambra State Government has ordered the immediate closure of the Onitsha Main Market.

Daily Post gathered that the shutdown, which took effect on Monday, is for an initial period of one week.

The action followed the continued compliance of traders with the illegal Monday sit-at-home directive, despite repeated warnings by the state government.

The directive was announced after weeks of appeals by the government to traders, market leaders and residents to disengage from the sit-at-home order, which officials insist has no legal backing and has continued to cripple economic activities in the state.

A senior government official said the state could no longer tolerate the situation.

“This is no longer about fear or compliance under duress. It is about restoring law, order and economic sanity,” the official said.

While the current closure is for one week, the government warned that if the market fails to fully reopen by next Monday, the shutdown would be extended to one month.

Officials said such a move could have far-reaching consequences for traders, supply chains and commercial activities across the South-East and other parts of the country.

Onitsha Main Market is one of the largest markets in West Africa and serves as a major commercial hub for millions of traders and consumers nationwide.

The state government said continued observance of sit-at-home undermines public safety efforts, emboldens criminal elements and projects Anambra as unsafe for business and investment.

The government also issued a warning to market unions, transport operators and individuals suspected of enforcing or promoting the sit-at-home order.

According to the government, anyone found aiding or abetting the practice would face legal and regulatory sanctions.

Security agencies have been placed on alert to ensure compliance and protect traders willing to open their shops.

While some traders welcomed the government’s firm stance, describing it as long overdue, others expressed fear and uncertainty, citing security concerns and previous incidents of violence linked to defiance of sit-at-home orders.

The Anambra State Government, however, reassured residents and traders that adequate security measures were being put in place to protect lives and property.

It urged traders to cooperate with the directive in the interest of collective economic survival.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo had earlier warned that civil servants in the state who refuse to report for work on Mondays would not be paid salaries.