ONITSHA: Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered the closure of the Onitsha Main Market for one week following traders’ continued refusal to comply with the state government’s directive to resume business activities on Mondays.
The governor issued the directive on Monday during an on-the-spot assessment of the market, accompanied by top government officials and security personnel. He warned that the closure could be extended if traders fail to reopen after the one-week shutdown.
Soludo said security agencies have sealed the market to enforce the order, describing the traders’ actions as economic sabotage and a threat to public safety.
Despite repeated assurances of improved security and appeals by the government to restore normal economic activities, many traders reportedly kept their shops locked, citing fear linked to the lingering Monday sit-at-home.
The government cannot stand by while a few individuals deliberately undermine public order and official directives meant to restore normalcy. This is unacceptable, Soludo said.
He stressed that the closure was meant to protect law-abiding citizens and restore confidence in public spaces, adding that failure to comply after one week would result in the market being sealed for an entire month.
You either decide to trade here or take your business elsewhere. I am very serious about this, the governor warned.
Security presence around the market was heightened, with a joint task force comprising police, military, and other agencies deployed to secure the area.
The development underscores the ongoing struggle by the Anambra State Government to end the Monday sit-at-home and revive economic activities across the state.
The market is expected to reopen next Monday, with attention focused on whether traders will return to their stalls or continue the shutdown.
Meanwhile, the state government has announced that from February 2026, civil servants’ salaries will be paid on a pro-rata basis, tied to attendance on Mondays, as part of measures to end the sit-at-home.
The Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, said the decision was taken during the end-of-tenure retreat of the Anambra State Executive Council in Awka, ahead of the administration’s new term beginning on March 17, 2026.
