*As Banks, Transport Not Operating Mondays Despite Reopening Order
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Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has issued a 14-day ultimatum to traders in Onitsha Main Market to move as he marked no fewer than 10,000 shops for demolition in the market.
The governor visited Anambra State this afternoon and issued the order amid controversy over his closure of the market for one week on Monday, January 26, over traders’ continued observance of the Monday sit-at-home, despite repeated government directives abolishing the practice.
Governor Soludo ordered the closure of the market during an unscheduled visit to the market, where he observed that a significant number of shops remained shut in defiance of the state government’s order lifting the sit-at-home linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The governor had described the persistent closure of businesses on Mondays as unacceptable and warned that the government would no longer tolerate actions capable of undermining economic activities and public order in the state.
He had issued a stern warning to traders in the state, insisting that they must open their shops for business from Monday to Saturday or relocate elsewhere.
Traders at the Onitsha Main Market partially complied with Governor Soludo’s order to shun the sit-at-home practice and open shops from Monday to Saturday every week.
Despite the partial compliance with the government order to shun the Monday sit-at-home, traders at Onitsha lamented that they came to their shops only to find out that over 10,000 shops have been marked for demolition in the market, with a 14-day deadline for them to move out.
TRADER’S ACCOUNT: “WE SAW PAINTS IN OUR SHOPS”
A trader, Uzochukwu Joseph Okoye, who owns a clothing shop at the market, said, “I opened today. I opened last Monday, but the market is not filled like last Monday.”
Asked about the situation at the market, he said, “The situation is that we came this morning and saw a lot of paints in our shops that we should move in 14 days. But that 14 days is too short. We cannot do anything within 14 days.”
“A lot of people are in the market, ready to trade despite the fact that we do not see customers. Even when we were coming, transportation was also an issue.
“I’m pleading with the governor to also work on transportation and banks so that everywhere will operate fully on Mondays. This morning, some banks were not open, and some transportation companies are not operating.”
He noted that finding Keke Napep and commercial buses was a problem, making it almost impossible for traders to go to their shops.
On why their shops are marked for demolition, Okoye said that Governor Soludo is complaining that the Onitsha Main Market has been messed up, hence, the need for the demolition.
“But we, the traders know that before developers built these shops, they got approval from the state government, and the government gave them the standard approval of the shops to build.
“After building, the developers sold them to us, and we have been paying tax to the government. Now the governor marks all these shops as bad. He marked more than 10,000 shops, saying that those more than 10,000 shops should be removed.”
Okoye lamented that the most painful part of the planned demolition is that the government could not provide an alternative for them.
Pleading with the governor to be patient with the traders, Okoye said, “If it is about Monday business, I’m sure that within two weeks, Main Market will be in full operation. Business will be booming and everything will be working normally.”
Okoye added, “We are even tired of staying at home but the challenges are transportation, banks and other things, which the government has promised to provide adequate security for us.”
He noted that what traders are asking is more time like one year for them to trade throughout this year 2026, “Then by January 2027, Soludo still has up to three years in office, he can start building whatever he wants to build.”
He said the traders need enough time to look for alternative shops elsewhere, noting that Onitsha Main Market is already filled up with not even a quarter shop space available.
“The governor marked more than 10,000 shops for demolition, and if you calculate the over 10,000 shop by their families, you will have about 50,000 families who will be stranded.
“That is not normal. How can those stranded families feed? How can they pay school fees? Many people’s blood pressure is already high. I took three people to the hospital this morning because of this issue before coming to the shop.”
He stressed, “Two weeks is too short. We cannot do anything for two weeks. Let the governor give at least one year so we can plan our lives. We also mean well for Anambra State.”
Meanwhile, Chairman of Onitsha Main Market, Chijioke Okpalaugo, has allegedly resigned his leadership of the market according to Vanguard.
This comes after suspected hoodlums Sunday night reportedly placed a coffin in front of the “White House”, the administrative headquarters of the Onitsha Main Market, following Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s directive that the market should be reopened on Monday, February 2.
TheNigerialawyer could not immediately confirm the development as Mr Okpalaugo did not answer calls placed to his mobile phone.
Some traders said that Okpalaugo’s resignation is not unconnected with Governor Soludo’s order that the market should be opened today, and he is not ready to risk his life opening the market.
It was also gathered that the coffin placed in front of his office, the “White House”, is a direct warning against him not to allow the market to open today, to avoid suffering the fate of Francis Enibe, Chairman of Mgbuka Amazu Market Obosi, who was kidnapped in his market on a Monday and has been missing for over two years now.
Our correspondent gathered that even the security men who guard the “White House” could not explain when and how the coffin was brought to the place and who placed it there.
According to a trader, the alleged resignation of the Chairman of Onitsha Main Market was the trending news on the traders’ WhatsApp group.
Some traders, who spoke this morning, said that they would not step out or go to the market. A trader also told Vanguard that he has told his four apprentices who leave his house for the market daily as early as 6:30am, not to step out, because he does not want to answer any questions from their parents.
There was no vehicular and human movement as usually seen in recent times in Onitsha before the shutdown of the market by Governor Soludo.
A trader, Okechukwu Okafor, told Vanguard that traders want the governor to come to Onitsha to address them to open the market, as he was said to have done last Monday when he ordered that the market be shut down.
“It is not just staying in Awka and surrounded by the army, police and DSS and giving orders that the Onitsha Main Market should be reopened. We want Governor Soludo to come to Onitsha like he did last week when he ordered the market to be shut down. He should also come and do the normal opening ceremony so that the traders in the market will start trading,” Okafor said.
As the 14-day ultimatum counts down, the traders’ plea for a one-year grace period and their request for Governor Soludo to personally address them highlight the need for dialogue and sustainable solutions beyond ultimatums and threats.
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