Following the closure of Onitsha Main Market by Anambra State governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, the market leadership has agreed to stop observing sit-at-home order on Mondays as earlier directed by the state government.
It specifically expressed willingness to comply with the governor’s directive that they begin operation every Monday but highlighted logistics and security challenges.
A statement by the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Law Mefor, said the Chairman of Onitsha Main Market, Mr. Chijioke Okpalugo, gave the assurance when the governor hosted the traders. The statement said Okpalugo pledged that traders would begin Monday operations in alignment with the governor’s vision for a “One Anambra.”
Also, the traders’ leadership presented several requests to ensure a successful transition.
Their demands include provision of proactive security to protect traders and customers, ensuring motor parks are fully operational to attract buyers from outside the state, and decisive action against individuals who benefit from or facilitate the sit-at-home order.
According to the statement, Governor Soludo reaffirmed his commitment to securing the state’s commercial hubs, promising that the security architecture across all markets would be overhauled to prevent harassment.
“Igbo land and Anambra will move forward,” he declared.
The statement further said Soludo presented a “renovate or rebuild” ultimatum to the traders, offering two options: to level the existing structures and build a new, world-class trading hub or undergo a massive modernisation project.
It further quoted the governor as having said:”For four years, we engaged with you. We discussed, pleaded, and even held prayer sessions with all the churches in April 2022, to end this. It is now time for more action.
‘’The current enforcement of the sit-at-home order has transitioned from a political protest to a criminal enterprise that no longer serves the interests of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Those enforcing the order are largely non-indigenes of Anambra State. Extreme measures would be deployed by government if defiance persists.”
Meanwhile, Chairman of Onistha Chamber of Commerce, Chinedu Nwonu, has disclosed that the market lost more than N200 billion in six days following the closure.
His words:”It is estimated that the market trades between $5 and $10 billion dollars on an annual basis and on a daily basis, between $12 and $15 million dollars. And if one has to convert it to Naira, you are talking about close to N20 billion daily. If you just do simple arithmetic, N20 billion for six days is about N120 billion. The market has lost so much, and that is a direct loss.
“The indirect loss may even be so much when you talk about lost opportunities. If you attach a figure to it, it would not be less than N200 billion in six days.’’
The governor had ordered the closure of the market last Monday following the continued observance of sit-at-home order by the traders.
The order was earlier given by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, four years ago as part of its advocacy for the realisation of the sovereign state of Biafra.
