Governor Soludo has moved to demolish Onitsha Main Market.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has declared that there is no reversal of the order shutting down the Onitsha Main Market, describing traders’ continued compliance with the Monday sit-at-home as deliberate economic sabotage.
Speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday, Soludo said the state government would take drastic measures, including revoking shop ownership and possibly taking over the entire market, to end what he described as actions undermining Anambra’s economy.
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The governor insisted that the sit-at-home practice could not be justified by security concerns, noting that traders operated freely throughout the yuletide period, including Mondays and even Sundays, without recorded incidents.
“I want to say clearly that the Monday sit-at-home is deliberate economic sabotage and it will not be allowed to continue,” Soludo said. “We cannot operate a four-day economy and expect to compete with states and countries running six-day economies.”
Soludo questioned why the action appeared targeted at Onitsha Main Market, pointing out that other markets across the state remained open on Mondays. He alleged that many of those enforcing the sit-at-home were not from Anambra State and accused external forces of fueling the disruption.
Tracing the origin of the sit-at-home to the 2021 protests following the arrest of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, Soludo said Kanu himself had disapproved of the continued observance when he visited him in detention. He added that the state had since engaged stakeholders, set up a Justice Peace Committee, and implemented recommendations aimed at restoring normal economic life.
The governor disclosed that over 15,000 youths had benefited from the state’s amnesty and rehabilitation programme, stressing that the government was committed to rebuilding livelihoods while others were working to inflict hardship.
According to Soludo, the impact of the shutdown goes beyond government revenue, affecting traders, families, education, and the overall stability of the state. He described Monday as the most critical trading day of the week and warned that continued closures would further weaken the local economy.
Soludo also accused unnamed politicians of sponsoring the sit-at-home to gain political advantage, vowing that those involved would eventually be exposed.
“This is not about politics; it is about the future, security and prosperity of Anambra State,” he said. “This economic sabotage must stop. Either shops are opened, or ownership will be revoked.”
He announced that the government would begin a recertification of shop ownership in the coming weeks, warning that traders unwilling to operate would lose their shops to others ready to do business.
“If you are not ready to open your shop, step aside,” Soludo said. “We will revoke it and give it to those who are willing to contribute to the growth of our state.”
