Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has ordered the immediate closure of the Onitsha Main Market for one week, following the traders’ continued compliance with the Indigenous People of Biafra’s sit-at-home directive.
Mr 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 south-east 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.
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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.
“You either decide that you are going to trade here or you go elsewhere. I am very serious about this,” the governor added.
The scene at the market was one of tense enforcement as a joint task force of police, army, and other security personnel moved swiftly to secure the perimeter, turning away the few hopefuls who approached.
Mr Soludo 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.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the Anambra government decided to begin pro rata salary payments to workers across the state as part of efforts to end the Monday sit-at-home directive enforced by the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
While killings associated with the IPOB have reduced in the South-east, many residents are still reluctant to open their businesses on Mondays for fear of attack.