Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has ordered the immediate closure of the iconic Onitsha Main Market for one week after traders continued to keep their shops locked on Monday in apparent defiance of the state government’s directive to end the controversial Monday sit-at-home observance.
The governor made the announcement during an unscheduled visit to the bustling commercial hub on Monday, where he found many stalls shuttered despite repeated appeals from the state government for traders to resume normal business activities.
In a firm statement, Soludo described the continued closure of shops as tantamount to “economic sabotage”, underscoring the toll the regular Monday shutdowns have taken on the local economy. He emphasised that markets in Anambra are expected to be open from Monday to Friday and that traders who refuse to comply must choose whether they wish to operate in the state.
“We are cordoning this whole place off for the first week,” the governor said, warning that failure to reopen by next Monday could see the closure extended to one month or beyond. “If you want to do business here, you must abide by the rules or you can go elsewhere,” he added.
Soludo’s government has repeatedly urged traders and residents to reject the sit-at-home practice — which has been observed on Mondays in parts of the South-East for several years arguing that security conditions have improved sufficiently to allow daily commercial life to resume.
Security personnel, including the police and army, were reportedly deployed to enforce the shutdown, securing perimeter points and preventing access to the market during the first week of closure.
Onitsha Main Market is recognised as one of the largest markets in West Africa, serving millions of traders, suppliers and consumers. The repeated Monday closures have frustrated business operators and policymakers alike, who say the practice continues to dent economic activity and investor confidence across the region.
As the state counts down to next Monday, attention is likely to focus on whether traders choose to heed the government’s call to resume business or maintain their observance of the sit-at-home, which remains a deeply emotive issue among some segments of the local population.
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