Anambra traders vow to end Monday sit-at-home, pledge full market reopening

Traders at the Onitsha Main Market and other markets across Anambra State have pledged to end the Monday sit-at-home order and have declared readiness to resume full commercial activities on Mondays.

This commitment follows the directive of State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.

The assurance was given on Thursday during an interactive session with the governor, held after the prolonged sit-at-home and the closure of the Onitsha Main Market, which have crippled economic activities in the South-East.

Speaking after the meeting, the Chairman of Onitsha Main Market, Chijioke Okpalugo, stated that traders are prepared to open for Monday operations in support of the governor’s vision.

He appealed for enhanced security to guarantee safety, requesting a visible and sustained security presence in markets, full operation of motor parks, and decisive action against those who enforce the sit-at-home.

Okpalugo emphasized the traders’ resolve, stating they have lost significant fortunes due to the order and are fully in support of the governor’s action against it.

In his response, Governor Soludo declared that all markets and shops in Anambra must remain open every working day, including Mondays, asserting that the era of sit-at-home-induced closures is over.

He assured traders of an overhauled security architecture to protect commercial centres from harassment.

The governor also presented a “renovate or rebuild” option for the Onitsha Main Market, offering either a complete redevelopment or a comprehensive overhaul.

He dismissed any link between the sit-at-home enforcement and the detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, calling it a criminal enterprise.

Soludo alleged that many enforcers are not Anambra indigenes and warned that the government would deploy extreme measures if defiance continued.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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