Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has appealed to Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo to reopen the Onitsha Main Market.
The President-General of the socio-cultural group, John Azuta-Mbata, made the appeal in a statement issued by the group’s National Publicity Secretary, Ezechi Chukwu.
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Governor Soludo ordered the market’s closure for one week on Monday over traders’ continued observance of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)’s sit-at-home.
Mr Mbata said Ohanaeze understood the government’s concerns, noting that the decision was intended to ensure order, safety and long-term development.
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He urged the governor to consider the economic hardship faced by traders and families whose livelihoods depend largely on the market’s daily operations.
According to him, reopening the market promptly would ease the burden on residents, particularly amid prevailing economic difficulties.
“We commend Governor Soludo for his purposeful leadership and the administration’s efforts at transforming Anambra.
“In the spirit of inclusive governance, we request engagement with market leaders and stakeholders through dialogue to reach an amicable resolution.
“Ohanaeze remains confident in the governor’s commitment to Ndi Anambra, and pledges continued support for peace, progress and development,” he said.
A faction of the outlawed IPOB often enforces the illegal sit-at-home.
IPOB is seeking the secession of the South-east and some parts of the South-south from Nigeria.
The Anambra State Government on Monday night claimed, without providing details, that the sit-at-home costs the state about N8 billion per week.
The market closure triggered a protest by angry traders in Anambra, who on Tuesday backed the Monday sit-at-home directive in honour of the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
On Wednesday, the protesters blocked the popular River Niger Bridge, which connects Onitsha in Anambra State to Asaba in Delta State, in Nigeria’s South-south.
Soludo vows to resist sit-at-home in Anambra
Mr Soludo vowed to resist the sit-at-home across markets in the state, saying that those who promote it have an evil agenda to sabotage the state and the South-east’s economy.
“The cost of sit-at-home to Anambra State is enormous. People think about revenue.
“I’m talking about a larger economy. The traders themselves. That each day that you don’t go to market. You don’t know how many businesses you’ve lost,” he said.
“You don’t know how many businesses are moving out of Onitsha to elsewhere.”
The governor argued that it is deceptive that some people engage in social activities in their neighbourhood and street trading on Mondays, but refuse to open their shops in markets on the excuse of insecurity.
“There’s now some deliberateness about what is going on. Sabotage, criminal intent to keep Anambra and the South-east behind.
“And we are determined to fight this with everything legal to make sure that we come to an end to this,” he said.
The governor said allowing the Monday sit-at-home directive to continue would give a bad signal to investors that the state and region had accepted a different business calendar.
“We are redefining a new calendar for Anambra and the South-east.
“That you are open for business from Tuesday to Saturday or to Friday as the case may be, while the rest of the world has a different kind of calendar,” he said.
He contended that traders cannot complain of insecurity at the Onitsha Main Market because he has provided adequate security operatives in the market.
“The main market. You have over 150 security persons working there,” he said.
He added that some people also failed to open their shops on Mondays due to “plain laziness”, which, over the years of sit-at-home, has compelled them to accept.
(NAN)
