By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Governor Chukwuma Soludo has defended his decision to shut down the Onitsha Main Market for one week, boasting that the market is his property and that of the Anambra State Government which he currently leads as the Governor. The Governor further threatened that continued closure of shops on Mondays in observance of sit-at-home could lead to revocation of traders’ shop ownership and possible allocation of the shops to Agụnechemba security operatives as alternative offices.
The governor made the remarks on Wednesday during a press briefing at the Government House, Awka, while reacting to the wave of reactions, protests, and criticisms that followed the temporary closure of the market over traders’ continued observance of Monday sit-at-home.
Recall that Governor Soludo, on Monday, sealed the Onitsha Main Market and suspended all business activities in the market for one week during an unscheduled visit to the largest market in West Africa, where he met the place under lock and key as a result of sit-at-home that has become a ritual in many parts of the state.
Soludo’s action, which triggered off a chain of reactions and counter-reactions, also caused protest and elicited some criticisms from traders and some groups, who described the move as despotic while also questioning the governor’s right to determine when they should open their shops or not, especially as they claim to pay rents and taxes without default.
Several traders, in their reactions, also argued that the non-opening of banks, scarcity of transportation, absence of customers, and general shutdown of economic activities on Mondays were among the major reasons that discourage them from opening their shops on Mondays; and not necessarily the fear of insecurity.
However, addressing the matter on Wednesday, the governor insisted that the sit-at-home had morphed into what he described as calculated economic sabotage, stressing that it was no longer about security or fear but about normalising an abnormal situation that was steadily crippling the state’s economy.
Soludo argued that while shops in major markets remain locked, street trading thrives across Onitsha every Monday, questioning the logic of citing insecurity as the reason for market closures. According to him, the same city witnesses open trading on streets, sporting activities, meetings, and social engagements on Mondays, thereby making claims of insecurity inconsistent and unjustifiable.
Going memory lane, the governor disclosed that the state had previously adopted dialogue and engagement, holding several meetings with market leaders and even personally visiting the Onitsha Main Market to appeal to traders to reopen. He said government deliberately avoided the use of force, choosing instead to persuade stakeholders and appeal to their collective interest.
He further revealed that the state had also pursued broader solutions to insecurity and agitation in the Southeast, including the establishment of a 17-man committee through the Justice and Peace Commission, chaired by Professor Chidi Odinkalu, to examine the root causes of unrest since 1999. According to him, aspects of the committee’s report are already being implemented, including the creation of a Bureau of Missing Persons.
Soludo maintained that sit-at-home rhetoric largely originates from outside Anambra State, warning that those who promote it while living elsewhere are inflicting deep harm on the homeland they claim to defend. He described the practice as destructive to education, livelihoods, and long-term development, citing how children are kept out of school and petty traders, artisans, and farmers are denied daily income.
The governor also highlighted several social interventions introduced by his administration to support vulnerable citizens, including free education from primary to secondary school, free antenatal care and delivery for pregnant women, and youth empowerment programmes, such as the One Youth Two Skills initiative that has reportedly benefited about 15,3000 youths. He argued that these efforts were aimed at uplifting the same people being harmed by the sit-at-home.
Turning specifically to the Onitsha Main Market, Soludo stated categorically that the market belongs to him and the state government, further warning that if traders persist in keeping shops closed, government would not hesitate to exercise its powers under the Land Use Act. He threatened to cancel existing allocations, demand proof of ownership, and reallocate shops strictly to those willing to operate fully within the state’s approved business calendar.
He further warned that illegal structures and undocumented occupancies within the market would not be spared, noting that a significant portion of the market was allegedly built without proper approval. According to him, enforcement of the law could see large sections of the market cleared if government chooses to deploy the full weight of regulatory authority.
“If push comes to a shove, I will give you a notice to come and carry out your things, that want to level the place. If push comes to a shove, I will give you a notice very quickly.
“It’s my property. It’s the government’s property. And sooner or later, if this pushes again, we’re going to cancel all allocations in that place. We’ll cancel them. If you don’t show up, we’re going to revoke your ownership of that shop. And I will give it up to Agụnechemba security operatives as their alternative office. That also is within the law. So, if you’re asking me to show you the law, if I bring the laws out, don’t complain,” the Governor stated.
Soludo also revealed that government has a master plan for a new Onitsha Main Market, which has so far been restrained in the interest of dialogue, but warned that such restraint would not last indefinitely if defiance continues.
The governor stressed that Anambra cannot afford to operate a four-day work week, insisting that the state must align with global economic realities to attract investors and sustain growth. He described Anambra as one of Nigeria’s largest economies, warning that persistent Monday shutdowns were driving businesses away to other states.
He also announced that similar enforcement measures would apply to schools, banks, petrol stations, markets, and public servants, stressing that any institution permitted to operate in Anambra must comply with official working days or face sanctions.
While reiterating his resolve, Soludo warned that any market that fails to open on Mondays risks being shut down for weeks, with government prepared to take over such facilities in the public interest. He said 2026 would mark a turning point, with government no longer willing to tolerate what he described as sustained economic sabotage.
Calling on Ndi Anambra to support the policy, the governor said the struggle was about saving the state’s economy, securing the future of children, protecting livelihoods, and reassuring investors that Anambra remains fully open for business.
