Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has insisted that the shutdown of the Onitsha Main Market will remain in force, warning that traders who continue to observe the Monday sit-at-home risk losing ownership of their shops.
The governor made the declaration during a press briefing on Wednesday, describing the continued closure of the market on Mondays as deliberate economic sabotage that the state government would no longer tolerate.
Soludo said the government was prepared to take drastic measures, including revoking shop ownership, taking over the market entirely, or even demolishing it, if traders failed to comply.
“I want to say that the Monday sit-at-home is deliberate economic sabotage and it will not be allowed to continue,” he said. “If it gets to the point where we must revoke shop ownership or take possession of the market, we will do so to get things right.”
He dismissed claims that insecurity was responsible for the market closures, noting that traders operated freely throughout the yuletide period, including Mondays and even Sundays, without any reported incidents.
“For those who say it is about insecurity, why were there no incidents when markets opened throughout the week during Christmas?” Soludo asked. “They attend meetings on Mondays, go to exercise at the stadium, and do not fear insecurity. So why target Onitsha Main Market?”
The governor traced the origin of the Monday sit-at-home to the 2021 protests following the arrest of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, but said Kanu himself had disapproved of the continued observance of the order.
“I visited Kanu in detention and confronted him on this issue. He told me it was wrong and should stop,” Soludo said, adding that the state subsequently set up a Justice Peace Committee, whose recommendations were being implemented.
He warned that Anambra could not afford to operate a “four-day economy” while competing with states and countries running six-day work weeks, stressing that the sit-at-home was hurting traders, students, and the wider economy.
“Monday is the most important trading day of the week. If this continues, our economy will keep declining. We cannot train our children in a school system that runs only four days a week,” he said.
Soludo also accused unnamed politicians of sponsoring the sit-at-home in a bid to score political points, describing their actions as reckless and harmful to the state.
“Some politicians are behind this and think it is politics. It is not about politics; it is about the future, security, and prosperity of Anambra,” he said, warning that those involved would eventually be exposed.
The governor revealed that the state would soon begin a recertification exercise for shop owners in the market, stressing that those unwilling to open their shops should vacate.
“If you are not ready to open your shop, we will revoke it and give it to those who are willing to do business,” Soludo said. “This economic sabotage must end.”