Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra, has defended his decision to close the Onitsha main market for one week after traders continued to comply with the IPOB-enforced Monday sit-at-home order.
The Monday sit-at-home was initiated in 2021 by the
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the south-east to protest the arrest and
detention of its leader Nnamdi Kanu.
The directive that residents stay off work and keep
businesses closed every Monday originally coincided with Kanu’s scheduled court
appearances.
Soludo has criticised the order as having no legal backing
and crippling businesses and livelihoods in Anambra.
On Monday, the governor ordered the closure of the popular
Onitsha main market, accusing traders of deliberately ignoring the directive
not to comply with the Monday sit-at-home.
Some state officials criticised the move, saying it could
reignite violence in the region.
In a news conference on Thursday, Soludo doubled down on his
decision.
He expressed frustration at the traders’ decision to stay
off business premises on Monday despite prior warnings from the government to
end adherence to the sit-at-home order.
“This is a struggle for the soul of Anambra’s future. Almost
80 percent of the people have given us mandate to protect and promote their
welfare and security, and that we must remain committed to doing 24 by seven —
every day,” he said.
“Because Monday is almost the most important day of the
week. That’s when suppliers, the people demanding for goods, that’s when they
must go and open up.
“So if you are not opening, people are relocating elsewhere.
That’s what we mean by the cost to the state. The place will keep getting down
and down economically.
“And like I said before, we’re not going to train our
children in the 21st century by going to school four days a week. Absolute
nonsense!! This obviously has stopped.
“We’re going to open the schools and we’re going to take the
same measures. You are running a private school, if you are not open, I come
and slam it and lock it up. Because we’ve given you the permission to operate
there as a school and in Anambra, the school days are Monday through Friday.”
Soludo described the sit-at-home order as a “calculated
economic sabotage” to bring down Anambra, a state he said is one of Nigeria’s
top five economies.
“A time comes where you must either stand up for truth or be drowned,” he said.
He added that efforts would be made to restore Anambra
“whatever it costs”.
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