Anambra State Reiterates Commitment to Inspect and Close Shops That Remain Closed on Mondays

The Anambra State Government has announced its intention to persist with market inspections each Monday, warning that shops failing to open will face closures.

Dr. Law Mefor, the Commissioner for Information, communicated this message while addressing allegations that traders at Onitsha Main Market were penalized for not operating last Monday.

Mefor rejected these accusations, affirming that no shop in Onitsha Main Market was closed for this reason. However, he confirmed that enforcement actions occurred at Bridgehead Market in Onitsha.

He stated, "There is no record of any shop being shut down in Onitsha Main Market because traders did not open on Monday. What I know is that some shops were shut at Bridgehead Market, and we will not relent. Every Monday, we will inspect the markets and close any shop whose owner fails to open for business."

In an opposing viewpoint, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) accused the state government of unjustly closing shops at Onitsha Main Market, labeling the alleged actions as reckless and authoritarian.

IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful, contended that the government’s measures cannot nullify the anxieties and social circumstances faced by traders.

The group criticized the government's approach, stating, "To seal the shops of hardworking traders because they did not open on a particular day is not governance; it is collective punishment," equating it to unlawful eviction.

IPOB called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to retract the policy and reopen the impacted shops, asserting that effective leadership should be built on persuasion and respect for citizens’ rights rather than compulsion.