The Anambra state governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered the immediate shutdown of the Onitsha main market and other adjoining markets for one week, in a move to enforce compliance with the government’s directive against the Monday sit-at-home order.
The governor gave the directive on Monday during an on-site visit to the market, along with some of his aides and other government officials.
Soludo warned that the closure could be extended if traders fail to comply with the directive, adding that security agencies have sealed the market to enforce the order.
The governor described the development as the latest, and perhaps most drastic, salvo in a protracted struggle over control of economic life in the south-east on Monday.
Soludo said that despite repeated assurances of enhanced security and appeals to reclaim public spaces, many traders at the iconic market once again chose to keep their stalls locked.
According to him, their absence amounted to a quiet rebellion that nonetheless spoke volumes about the lingering climate of fear.
“The government cannot stand by while a few individuals willfully undermine public safety and disregard official directives meant to restore normalcy. This is plain economic sabotage,” Soludo said.
“We are not going to allow this. The closure is a protective measure for law-abiding citizens.”
He, however, issued a stern warning that if the market fails to reopen after the one-week shutdown, it will be sealed for one month.
“You either decide that you are going to trade here or you go elsewhere. I am very serious about this,” the governor added.
The scene at the market on Monday was marked by tense enforcement, as a joint task force comprising police, army, and other security agencies was seen securing the perimeter.
As the gates remain locked this week, the standoff in Onitsha highlights the broader struggle to abolish the Monday sit-at-home.
The state government had earlier directed traders and businesses to continue normal activities on Mondays as part of efforts to restore economic stability and end disruptions caused by recurring sit-at-home observances.
The state government would begin pro-rata salary payments for workers across the state as part of efforts to end the Monday sit-at-home.
The state commissioner for information, Law Mefor, disclosed in Awka, noting that effective February 2026, civil servants’ salaries would be paid according to attendance on Mondays.
Mefor said the decision was reached during the end-of-tenure retreat of the Anambra state executive council held in Awka, which reviewed the administration’s activities over its concluding four-year tenure and outlined priorities for the new term beginning on March 17, 2026.
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