Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has declared that there will be no reversal of the decision to shut the Onitsha Main Market, insisting that the continued Monday sit-at-home by traders amounts to deliberate economic sabotage.
Speaking at a press briefing in Awka on Wednesday, Soludo said the state government would not hesitate to revoke shop ownership rights or even take over and redevelop the market if traders fail to comply with the directive to resume Monday trading.
“I want to say clearly that the Monday sit-at-home is deliberate economic sabotage and it will not be allowed to continue,” the governor said. “If it comes to revoking shop ownership or even taking possession of the market, we will do what is necessary to put things right.”
He dismissed claims that insecurity was responsible for traders staying away on Mondays, noting that markets operated throughout the yuletide period without incidents.
“If insecurity was the issue, why were there no problems when traders opened from Monday to Saturday and even on Sundays during the festive season?” Soludo asked. “People go for meetings, exercise at stadiums and move around freely on Mondays, yet their target is Onitsha Main Market.”
The governor traced the origin of the sit-at-home to 2021, following the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), but said the practice has since been hijacked by external interests.
“I visited Kanu in detention and he told me the sit-at-home was wrong,” Soludo said. “We constituted a Justice Peace Committee, implemented its recommendations, granted amnesty to over 15,000 youths and invested heavily in restoring security.”
According to him, Anambra cannot afford to operate a four-day economy while competing with states running full business weeks.
“The rest of the world will not adjust to our calendar,” he said. “Monday is the most important trading day. This is not about government revenue; it is about the survival of traders, the poor and the overall economy.”
Soludo further alleged that some politicians were sponsoring the continued sit-at-home for political gain, warning that those involved would soon be named.
“Some politicians are behind this sabotage and they think it is politics,” he said. “Very soon, we will name them. This is about the future, security and prosperity of Anambra State.”
He warned that recertification of shop ownership would begin within weeks, stressing that traders unwilling to open on Mondays would lose their shops to others ready to do business.
“If you are not ready to open your shop, go elsewhere,” Soludo said. “We will revoke your shop and give it to people who are willing to work.”
By David-Chyddy Eleke
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