By By Micheal Chukwuebuka
ANAMBRA State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered the immediate closure of the Onitsha Main Market for seven days over traders’ continued non-compliance with the state government’s directive against the Monday sit-at-home order.
The decision followed repeated defiance by traders who failed to open for business on Monday, despite earlier warnings by the government to disregard the sit-at-home directive imposed by non-state actors.
Governor Soludo had previously cautioned traders against locking up their shops on Mondays and extended the warning to civil servants who stay away from work under the guise of observing the sit-at-home order.
Speaking during a visit to the market, the governor warned that the closure could be extended if compliance is not achieved.
He stated that should traders fail to resume business on Mondays after the expiration of the one-week shutdown, the market would be closed for an additional one month.
According to him, the action became necessary to protect law-abiding citizens and reassert the authority of the state, stressing that the government would not tolerate actions by a few individuals that undermine public safety and disregard official directives aimed at restoring normal economic activities.
Following the order, security operatives, including personnel of the police and the Nigerian Army, were deployed to seal the market and ensure full compliance with the directive.
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