By Peter Omopo
Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has reiterated that there is no reversal of the decision to end the Monday sit-at-home in markets across the state, particularly in Onitsha and Nnewi, describing the practice as a form of “calculated economic sabotage.”
The governor made the declaration on Wednesday during a press briefing at the Light House, Awka, where he insisted that the sit-at-home policy was discontinued in 2022 and that those still enforcing it were acting against the collective interest of the state.
Soludo alleged that the continued closure of markets on Mondays was being sponsored by certain elements to undermine the state’s economy, adding that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, had long dissociated himself from the practice.
According to the governor, Kanu made his position clear during a visit to him in detention shortly after Soludo assumed office in 2022, when he reportedly expressed displeasure with the sit-at-home, describing it as a means of impoverishing the people of the South-East.
The governor expressed concern that despite sustained engagements with traders, market leaders and other stakeholders, the Monday closures persist at the Onitsha Main Market. He explained that the recent closure of the market by the state government was a strategic move aimed at restoring economic order and long-term stability.
Soludo reminded traders that the Onitsha Main Market is owned by the state government and warned that the government has the authority to revoke shop ownership for non-compliance with lawful directives.
He cautioned that there would be no negotiations on the matter, warning that if the market remains closed again on Monday, the government would shut it down and subject all traders to a recertification process.
Recalling his visit to Onitsha earlier in the week, Soludo said economic activities were vibrant across the city, except at the main market, where most shops remained locked, prompting the one-week closure of the market.
He argued that the persistent closure could no longer be described as a sit-at-home, noting that markets operated on Mondays during the Yuletide period, only to resume closure afterward.
The governor maintained that insecurity was not responsible for the development, stating that the market is adequately secured by over 150 security personnel. He described claims of insecurity as false and misleading.
Soludo said the economic cost of the Monday sit-at-home to Anambra State was enormous, warning that the practice had deprived the state of about 20 per cent of its economic productivity.
He stressed that the fight against the sit-at-home was about safeguarding livelihoods, protecting the poor who depend on daily trading for survival, and reassuring investors that Anambra operates a full five-day work week.
The governor vowed that the state would intensify its crackdown on criminal elements and economic saboteurs, adding that Anambra had become one of the safest states in the country.
He warned traders that from 2026, the government would revoke shop ownership for those who refuse to open on Mondays, insisting that compliance was non-negotiable.
Soludo also reacted to protests by some residents over the closure of the Onitsha Main Market, during which demonstrators blocked the Onitsha Head Bridge, insisting that the state would not be deterred from enforcing its policy to restore normal economic activities.
