The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has thrown its weight behind Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, in his decision to shut down the Onitsha Main Market for one week due to persistent observance of the controversial Monday sit-at-home order.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Ohanaeze described the governor's move as "assertive" and "commendable," urging other South-East governors to adopt similar measures to finally end the unconstitutional sit-at-home directives.
The group highlighted that these orders, enforced by pro-Biafran agitators for over five years, have caused widespread loss of lives and severe damage to the region's economy.
Ohanaeze pointed to credible intelligence suggesting that a "clandestine cabal" within South-East market leadership has been colluding with violent enforcers of the sit-at-home policy.
According to the organization, some market leaders have deliberately sabotaged governors' efforts to normalize business activities on Mondays, knowing full well that continued closures would accelerate economic collapse and disrupt social life across the region.
The statement, signed by factional Deputy President-General Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and National Spokesperson Chief Chinyereze Ohia, emphasized that Soludo's action should serve as a model for restoring normalcy in the South-East.
In response to protests by traders on Tuesday against the market closure, Ohanaeze called on Governor Soludo to convene the Onitsha Main Market leadership for urgent talks. The group demanded that market officials sign a binding agreement to comply with state laws, support good governance, and operate fully from Monday to Saturday.
Should the leadership refuse, Ohanaeze recommended that the governor use his executive powers to dissolve the current market administration and appoint a special committee to take over management.
The organization further appealed to the South-East Governors Forum to summon leaders of major markets across the region for investigations into any complicity with sit-at-home promoters. If found innocent, market leaders should be required to commit to full operations; if guilty of promoting the directives over the past five years, they should face immediate disbandment.
Amid ongoing trader protests, Ohanaeze stressed the need for the Anambra State Government and security agencies to protect the market's infrastructure and prevent escalation. The group warned that any further violence could lead to catastrophic losses, not only for Ndigbo but for Nigeria at large.
"Ohanaeze Ndigbo reiterated that every effort must be made, lawfully and legally, by the Anambra Government and all relevant security agencies, to preserve and protect Onitsha Main Market," the statement concluded. It described the market as a historic symbol of pride for the Igbo people, predating Nigeria's formation and attracting investments from colonial times to the present.
The closure stems from Governor Soludo's on-the-spot assessment on Monday, where he observed widespread defiance of repeated government calls to end the sit-at-home practice and resume normal trading.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com