Onitsha protest: “Main Market will remain shut” – Soludo insists

Despite the growing tension in Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra State, Governor Chukwuma Soludo has said that the main market will remain shut.

Soludo while speaking to journalists at the Light House in Awka on Wednesday condemned the protests by traders and shop owners who insist on adhering to the Monday sit-at-home order by the leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Describing the sit-at-home order and its adherence as a sabotage to the state’s economy, the governor said the market will remain shut as a punitive measure.

He also questioned how the Onitsha Main Market traders were able to open their shops and conduct businesses during the Yuletide season but quickly returned to the Monday sit-at-home.

Soludo said this only shows that there is a deliberate attempt to redefine the economic calendar of the state.

He further dismissed claims from several quarters over security concerns which have been used as an excuse by traders to stay away from their businesses on Mondays.

According to Soludo, his administration has successfully stationed over 150 security officials within the Onitsha Main Market alone among other security measures put up across the state.

He said, “With security largely restored across the state, the continued Monday closures are unjustified,” he stated. “Anambra is one of Nigeria’s largest economies.

“By closing on Mondays, we are missing out on significant daily business opportunities, especially for the poor who depend on daily income. This is a struggle for the economic soul of our state.

“The government has been patient, but we are now prepared to enforce the law,” Soludo warned.

“We already have a new master plan for the Main Market in place since 2023. We are working to secure Anambra’s future and reassure investors that we operate a full five or six-day business week,” Soludo said.

He also highlighted some of the state government’s efforts towards ending the long-standing sit-at-home order.

Soludo said his administration is focused on initiating amnesty programs for agitators, establishing a Bureau for Missing Persons to address grievances and leading direct engagement with the proscribed IPOB leaders and members.

He said that most leaders of the group have have already distanced themselves from the sit-at-home order observed by the traders.

The governor noted that the one-week closure of the market is a painful collateral damage which he said was necessary to protect the collective prosperity of Anambra State.

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