Sit-at-Home: Anambra Traders Ask for Better Security

Traders at the Onitsha Main Market in Anambra State have appealed to the state government to provide better security so they can safely follow Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s order to end the Monday sit-at-home.

The traders spoke after the Anambra State Government ordered the closure of the Onitsha Main Market and nearby markets for one week. The government said the closure was due to traders’ refusal to open their shops on Mondays, despite repeated directives.

The Monday sit-at-home has been in place for about four years and was imposed by non-state actors in the South-East. It has disrupted businesses and daily life across the region and has been strongly criticised by the Soludo administration.

The state government has asked residents and traders to ignore the sit-at-home order and continue their normal activities, assuring them that it would protect lives and property. However, many traders are still afraid, and full compliance has not been achieved, leading to the market shutdown.

Some traders who spoke in Awka on Tuesday described the government’s action as harsh and undemocratic. They said the decision failed to consider the real security challenges in the state and the fears of traders.

One of the traders, Mr Ugochukwu Okigbo, said past attempts to return to business on Mondays had led to the killing of some traders. He argued that the government had not been able to prevent or reverse such losses.

“Traders are scared because no one knows when or how these attackers might strike,” he said. “The government should first deploy well-trained security personnel to reassure traders before enforcing the order.”

Okigbo also said shutting down a major market like Onitsha Main Market for one week was unfair and showed a lack of understanding of traders’ fears.

Another trader, Mr Daniel Nwachukwu, warned that closing the market for a full week would cause more economic harm than the once-a-week Monday sit-at-home observed by traders for safety reasons.

However, a resident, Mazi Christian Beluchukwu, supported the government’s action, saying it was necessary for economic growth. He described the move as bold but stressed that security must be strengthened to prevent fear and uncertainty.

Governor Soludo visited the Onitsha Main Market on January 26 and announced the one-week closure. He warned that if traders continued to disobey the order to open on Mondays, the closure could be extended for months or even lead to the demolition of the market.