Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has ordered traders who continue to observe the sit-at-home order initially declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra to desist from it or face sanctions.
He threatened to seal any shop or plaza closed on Mondays in compliance with the sit-at-home order.
Soludo issued the warning during an inspection tour of the Main Market in Onitsha on Monday, where he expressed his displeasure over the large number of locked shops and plazas.
The governor visited the market, known as the largest in West Africa, to observe the level of commercial activity amid the lingering sit-at-home order.
Since IPOB declared the sit-at-home in 2021 to protest the extraordinary rendition of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, the exercise has continued to disrupt business activities in the South East, despite IPOB’s official suspension of the order.
Fear of violent enforcement has caused markets, schools, banks, and other businesses to remain closed every Monday.
Soludo, who inspected the market, warned that any trader or business that refuses to open on Mondays would face severe penalties, including the sealing of shops for up to one month.
He stressed that the persistent closure of businesses on Mondays would damage the local economy, as customers might start going to other regions to purchase goods.
He said, “I am here to ensure that your shops are open.
From now on, every Monday, the Main Market must be open for business,” the governor declared. “If you fail to open, your shop will be sealed for one week, and if necessary, for up to one month. When you are ready to open, it must be from Monday through Saturday.”
Soludo assured the traders that adequate security measures would be in place to protect them, urging them to resume full commercial activities on Mondays.