Chukwuma Soludo, Governor of Anambra State, has reopened the New Motorcycle Spare Parts Market, popularly known as Nkwo Nnewi, following a one-week closure over traders’ non-compliance with the state’s directive abolishing the Monday sit-at-home order.
The market had been sealed last Monday by the governor’s Special Adviser on Trade and Markets, Hon. Evaristus Uba, after an inspection revealed low trader turnout, signaling defiance of the government’s stance against the practice.
The government had warned that continued non-compliance would prolong the closure.
The ban was lifted on Monday after the Chairman of Nnewi North Local Government Area, Hon. Echezona Anazodo, visited the market and observed significant compliance among traders.
“I’m happy to know today that traders complied with the order to resume business.
”If there was even half of this turnout last week, the market would not have been shut down,” Anazodo said.
He added that enforcement would now focus on individual traders failing to open their shops, rather than closing the entire market.
“Those traders should bear the brunt themselves,” he noted.
Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports suggest that a market in Ihiala Local Government Area has been shut down for alleged defiance of the sit-at-home directive.
Ihiala has previously been a flashpoint for separatist agitation, with criminal elements exploiting unrest to disrupt Monday commercial activities.
The Anambra State Government continues to insist that normal economic and social activities resume statewide, warning of sanctions for non-compliant institutions and markets.
The government emphasised that ensuring business continuity is critical for both safety and economic stability in the region.
