Soludo shuts down Onitsha main market over sit-at-home

Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has ordered the immediate closure of the Onitsha Main Market for one week, following the continuous sit-at-home directive being observed by the traders. Soludo gave the order on Monday in Onitsha shortly after he visited the market, noting that the defiance of the market leadership to open was against […]

Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has ordered the immediate closure of the Onitsha Main Market for one week, following the continuous sit-at-home directive being observed by the traders.
Soludo gave the order on Monday in Onitsha shortly after he visited the market, noting that the defiance of the market leadership to open was against the government’s directive.
According to him, it is the latest and perhaps most drastic approach to determine who controls time and economic life in Southeast Nigeria 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 Monday sit-at-home for years.
“In spite of repeated assurances of enhanced security and appeals to reclaim public spaces, many traders at the iconic market again chose to keep their stalls locked”, he said.
He noted that the traders’ absence was not just a quiet rebellion, but one that spoke volumes about the lingering climate of apprehension.
He explained that the government could not stand by while a few individuals willfully undermined public safety and disregarded official directives meant to restore normalcy.
He emphasised that if the market did not reopen for business after the one-week shutdown, it would be sealed for a month, and so on. (NAN)