Traders at the Onitsha Main Market in Anambra State on Monday reopened their shops in compliance with a directive issued by Governor Chukwuma Soludo, following a one-week closure imposed by the state government.
Soludo had ordered the temporary shutdown of the market last week after authorities observed what they described as traders’ compliance with the Monday sit-at-home order enforced by non-state actors in parts of the South-East.
He warned that failure to resume business after the shutdown would attract further closures.
A visit to the market on Monday showed a gradual return of commercial activities, with traders opening their shops as early as 8:45 a.m.
From Egerton Street through Ose Foodstuff Market to major access points such as Young Park, Emeka Offor Plaza, Sokoto Road, Lagos Line and Marine, traders were seen arranging goods while customers resumed patronage.
The resumption followed days of economic inactivity that disrupted livelihoods and commercial transactions in one of the largest markets in the South-East.
Many traders were observed cleaning their shops and restocking wares, signalling compliance with the state government’s directive to ignore the sit-at-home order.
The Monday sit-at-home, which has persisted in parts of the region for about four years, has been widely criticised for crippling economic and social activities, forcing markets, schools and offices to shut down weekly.
The Soludo administration has repeatedly described the practice as illegal and economically harmful.
To enforce compliance with the reopening directive, security operatives, including police and military personnel, were deployed around the market to secure the area and reassure traders and customers.
Soludo had consistently maintained that Anambra State is safe for business and daily activities.
In 2022, he formally declared an end to the sit-at-home order, announced amnesty for youths in hiding and inaugurated peace and reconciliation efforts to restore normalcy.
Although some residents still exercise caution, the reopening of the Onitsha Main Market marks another step by the state government toward restoring full economic activities and ending the long-running disruptions caused by the sit-at-home practice.
