Governor Soludo Orders One-Week Closure of Onitsha Main Market Due to Sit-at-Home Protests

Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has announced the suspension of operations at the Onitsha Main Market for a period of one week due to the persistent sit-at-home orders being complied with by the traders.

The order was given on a Monday in Onitsha, shortly after the governor conducted a visit to the market. He pointed out that the market leadership's refusal to resume operations was contrary to the directives issued by the government.

Soludo referred to this latest move as the most significant step taken to assert control over the economic activities in Southeastern Nigeria on Mondays.

He stated, "The adversary is the long-established, fear-driven sit-at-home order, an unofficial mandate from non-state actors that has hampered business activities and normalized the weekly closure on Mondays for several years."

Despite repeated promises of improved security and calls to reclaim public venues, many traders at this prominent market again opted to keep their shops closed, as noted by the governor.

He remarked that the traders' decision not to operate was not simply a passive resistance but highlighted the prevailing atmosphere of fear.

The governor emphasized that the government could not remain idle while a small group of individuals continued to jeopardize public safety and ignore official orders aimed at reinstating normal operations.

Soludo warned that if the market does not reopen after the one-week closure, it would face a lockdown of at least one month subsequently.