Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered the immediate closure of Onitsha Main Market for one week over traders’ failure to comply with the state government’s directive to resume full business activities on Mondays.
The directive followed the governor’s unscheduled visit to the market on Monday, during which he observed that most shops remained shut in apparent defiance of the government’s repeated warnings against the continuation of the “sit-at-home” practice.
The Monday sit-at-home order, which was initially linked to security concerns and separatist agitations in the South-East, has since been officially abolished by the Anambra State Government.
The policy reversal forms part of efforts to restore normalcy, strengthen economic activities, and enhance security across the state.
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Governor Soludo had earlier warned that any market, shop, or plaza found violating the directive would be sealed for one week.
The penalty was subsequently enforced at Onitsha Main Market, one of the largest and most economically significant markets in Nigeria.
The closure will last for seven days, during which all trading activities in the market will remain suspended.
The state government explained that the action is intended to send a strong message against continued observance of the sit-at-home order, which has negatively impacted commercial activities in the region.
Governor Soludo reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensuring that Mondays remain normal business days across Anambra State.
He also warned that similar sanctions would be applied to other defaulting markets, schools, and public institutions, adding that civil servants who fail to comply risk salary deductions.
It will be recalled that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had previously declared Mondays as a sit-at-home day across the South-East in protest against the continued detention of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
