Soludo reaches agreement with Onitsha Main Market leaders, vows to rejig market security

In a bid to restore the economic vitality of Anambra State, Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has declared that all markets and shops across the state will remain open every working day, including Mondays.

This directive was made during a meeting with market leaders from across the state, held in Awka.

In a media statement yesterday, Dr Law Mefor, the State’s Commissioner for Information, said the meeting aimed to address the recent closure of the Onitsha Main Market and the long-standing Monday sit-at-home practice that has affected commerce in the Southeast.

According to the statement, 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.

Regardless of the chosen option, he said the Governor emphasised that Monday closures will no longer be tolerated.

“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,” Soludo stated.

The Governor also noted that 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.

He alleged that those enforcing the order are largely non-indigenes of Anambra State and warned that “extreme measures” would be deployed by the government if defiance persists.

In response, the market leaders expressed willingness to comply with the directive but highlighted logistical and security challenges.

Mr. Chijioke Okpalugo, Chairman of the Onitsha Main Market, pledged that traders would begin Monday operations in alignment with the Governor’s vision for a “One Anambra.”

The traders’ leadership presented several requests to ensure a successful transition, including: A visible and proactive security presence to protect traders and customers; Ensuring motor parks are fully operational to bring buyers from outside the state; and decisive action against individuals who benefit from or facilitate the sit-at-home order.

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.

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