Headlines
Sit-At-Home: Soludo Shuts Onitsha Market After Traders Defy Orders
Commercial activities at the Onitsha Main Market have been suspended for seven days after the Anambra State Government moved to enforce its directive against the observance of Monday sit-at-home actions.
The decision followed a surprise visit to the market on Monday by Governor Chukwuma Soludo, who was accompanied by key officials of the state administration.
According to the governor, the shutdown will remain in force and may be prolonged if traders continue to defy government instructions, noting that security operatives have already cordoned off the market to ensure compliance.
He described the move as a significant turning point in the ongoing effort to restore normal economic activity across the South-East.
Soludo said that despite repeated assurances of enhanced security and appeals to reclaim public spaces, many traders at the iconic market once again chose to keep their stalls locked.
According to him, their absence amounted to a quiet rebellion that nonetheless spoke volumes about the lingering climate of fear.
Soludo said, “The government cannot stand by while a few individuals willfully undermine public safety and disregard official directives meant to restore normalcy. This is plain economic sabotage.
“We are not going to allow this. The closure is a protective measure for law-abiding citizens.”
He, however, issued a stern warning that if the market fails to reopen after the one-week shutdown, it will be sealed for one month.
The scene at the market on Monday was marked by tense enforcement, as a joint task force comprising police, army, and other security agencies was seen securing the perimeter.
As the gates remain locked this week, the standoff in Onitsha highlights the broader struggle to abolish the Monday sit-at-home.
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