The Anambra State House of Assembl has thrown their weight behind the state government’s temporary closure of the Onitsha Main Market as a measure to stop the traders from continuing to observe the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)’s illegal sit-at-home directive every Monday.
Hundreds of angry traders on Tuesday protested against the market closure.
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The Anambra assembly said the government’s action was necessary as the state loses N19.6 billion every Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the legislators, during their plenary session on Tuesday in Awka, resolved to back the governor’s decision to close down the market for a week.
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They, therefore, urged the residents to discontinue the Monday sit-at-home exercise forthwith.
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra closed the Onitsha Main Market on Monday, 26 January, following the traders’ refusal to open their businesses on Monday.
Johnbosco Akaegbobi, the House minority leader, moved the motion calling on Anambra residents to discontinue the Monday sit-at-home forthwith.
Mr Akaegbobi, representing Nnewi South 1 State Constituency, said that the sit-at-home had disrupted economic and social activities across the state for years, and that Anambra alone reports a loss of about N19.6 billion every Monday.
He said the sit-at-home had evolved into a habitual weekly practice enforced by fear, across the South-east region.
Mr Akaegbobi said that the region loses approximately N88.08 billion every Monday.
He added that the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) sector bore the heaviest burden, accounting for roughly 60 per cent of total financial losses.
He said that the micro business loses an estimated N4.6 trillion annually due to recurring closure, while transporters lost between N10billion to N13billion daily.
The lawmaker said that the enforced inactivity has led to a 20 per cent decline in annual effective working days and a 35 per cent decline in business productivity in the public and labour sectors.
Chuma Okoye, the deputy speaker, seconded the motion, noting that Governor Soludo’s action was apt.
He said that the decision was for the common good of the people and should not be seen as high-handedness.
Mr Okoye expressed concern that most religious leaders, Anambra residents, school leaders, market leaders, and civil and public servants have perceived Monday as an extension of the weekend.
He described their actions as intentionally crippling the economic viability of Monday as the first working day of every week.
Golden Ilo, representing the Ihaila 2 State Constituency, said that the traders should see the state government’s action as productive for the various enterprises.
He said that he also expects them to back the governor by complying without further delay.
NAN reports that, after deliberations on the motion and the support of the majority of lawmakers, it was resolved that the sit-at-home directive should stop forthwith.
Sometochukwu Udeze, the speaker of the House, urged the market leaders, religious leaders, schools, civil and public servants, transporters, and SMEs to commence full-scale activities forthwith across the state.
Background
IPOB, in August 2021, introduced a sit-at-home every Monday across the South-east to pressure the Nigerian government to release its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who was standing trial for terrorism at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The separatist group later suspended the order, preferring it be implemented only on days Mr Kanu appeared in court.
But despite its suspension, residents of the five South-east states – Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia and Anambra — had been observing the directive, mostly out of fear.
IPOB later repeatedly disowned the Monday sit-at-home across the region, saying those who still enforce it were criminals attempting to blackmail the separatist group.
But Simon Ekpa, a controversial Biafra agitator, continued to declare the sit-at-home in the region, despite its suspension by the IPOB faction led by Mr Kanu.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Kanu, the IPOB leader in late July 2023, through Aloy Ejimakor, his special counsel, ordered Mr Ekpa to stop issuing sit-at-home directives in the region.
However, Mr Ekpa described the letter as “fake,” and maintained that the illegal action would go on until Mr Kanu spoke to him directly in Finland, a North European country, where he (Ekpa) resides.
Several Igbo leaders, including Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State and the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, had made unsuccessful efforts to stop the sit-at-home.
For instance, Governor Soludo had declared prayer to end the sit-at-home in Anambra and later threatened to sanction those who observed it.
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Similarly, Mr Mbah, on assumption of office as governor of Enugu in May 2023, banned sit-at-home in the state.
PREMIUM TIMES reports that while the illegal order has almost completely ended in Enugu, Abia and Ebonyi States, it has remained active in Anambra and Imo states.
Mr Kanu was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for terrorism in November and Mr Ekpa was sentenced to six years imprisonment for similar crime in Finland.
