Onitsha Market: Soludo says Sit-at-House is {economic} sabotage
The Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has stated the failure of merchants on the Onitsha Primary Market to open their outlets on Monday is an act of {economic} sabotage, insisting that the sit-at-home order stopped within the state in 2023.
This was made identified by Governor Soludo whereas talking at a press briefing in Awka, Anambra State on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, to handle his determination to close down the Onitsha Primary Market.
Soludo has described as “delusional” the declare by some merchants within the Market that they don’t open their outlets on Mondays because of insecurity.
Soludo stated the state authorities wouldn’t hesitate to revoke store possession rights and even take over and redevelop the market if merchants fail to adjust to the directive to renew Monday buying and selling.
Soludo dismissed claims that insecurity was answerable for merchants staying away on Mondays, noting that markets operated all through the yuletide interval with out incidents.
He stated, “I wish to say clearly that the Monday sit-at-home is deliberate {economic} sabotage and it’ll not be allowed to proceed. If it involves revoking store possession and even taking possession of the market, we’ll do what is critical to place issues proper.
“If insecurity was the difficulty, why have been there no issues when merchants opened from Monday to Saturday and even on Sundays throughout the festive season?” Soludo requested. “Folks go for conferences, train at stadiums and transfer round freely on Mondays, but their goal is Onitsha Primary Market.
“It might be stated that since 2023, anyone saying he didn’t open the store due to insecurity is simply delusional.
“Go spherical another locations which might be extra insecure, and the markets are open. Onitsha, of all locations, Primary Market, with over 150 safety personnel, and you might be saying the rationale you aren’t open is due to insecurity? Absolute nonsense.’’
Soludo argued that if the identical merchants may go to the stadium on Mondays to play, train on the roads, or interact in road buying and selling, they might simply as properly open their outlets.
“However you might be within the stadium taking part in, insecurity permits you to go to the stadium to play, permits you to be figuring out on the roads, permits road buying and selling all over, the roads are blocked with road buying and selling — however insecurity doesn’t help you open your outlets on the Primary Market,” the governor stated.
Governor Soludo on Monday, January 26, 2025, ordered the rapid closure of the Onitsha Primary Marketplace for one week following the continued observance of the Monday sit-at-home by merchants.
The governor described the sit-at-home as a long-standing threat to {economic} life within the area, noting that regardless of repeated assurances of improved safety and appeals to reclaim public areas, merchants on the market as soon as once more saved their outlets closed.