Attention is focused on the commercial city of Onitsha today as Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, and traders of the Onitsha Main Market confront each other over the continued observance of the Monday sit-at-home.
The standoff follows the governor’s resolve to end the weekly shutdown that has severely disrupted economic activities in the state since it was introduced by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in protest against the detention of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Tension heightened last week after Soludo ordered the closure of the Onitsha Main Market for one week, directing that it must reopen today. The decision triggered protests by IPOB sympathisers and led to fresh sit-at-home declarations across markets in the South-East.
Security sources disclosed that government and security agencies are determined to ensure markets open today, with a joint security meeting held at the weekend to finalise personnel deployment and logistics across Onitsha and other major markets.
Market leaders, following a meeting with the governor, have appealed for calm. A prominent trader, Kezie Nwadiugwu, urged traders to open their shops, warning that continued resistance could give the government grounds to proceed with demolition and remodelling plans.
Governor Soludo has insisted that the Onitsha Main Market has deteriorated due to years of poor planning and prolonged closures, noting that the sit-at-home has cost the state billions of naira and driven customers to neighbouring states. He disclosed that global experts were engaged in 2023 to design a redevelopment plan for the 25-hectare market.
Reacting, the Chairman of the Onitsha Main Market, Chijioke Okpalaugo, assured the government that traders would reopen today, while appealing for a brief grace period to evacuate goods from illegal structures before enforcement begins.
As security remains tight across Anambra, the unfolding situation presents a critical test of authority, livelihoods and public order, with residents watching closely to see whether markets will open or the sit-at-home will prevail.
