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From Obinna Odogwu, Awka
Governor Chukwuma Soludo has ordered immediate shut down of Onitsha Main Market for one week, following defiance of the market leadership to open, against government’s directive.
Prof. Soludo media aide said in a statement that the order to shut the sprawling market was more than an administrative penalty.
“It is the latest, and perhaps most drastic, salvo in a protracted war over who controls time and economic life in Southeast Nigeria on mondays.
“The enemy is the long-standing, fear-enforced Monday sit-at-home order, a ghostly mandate from non-state actors that has strangled businesses and normalized weekly Monday sit-at-home for years.
“The Governor’s move is a direct response to what the government sees as baffling defiance. Despite repeated assurances of enhanced security and appeals to reclaim public spaces, many traders at the iconic market again chose to keep their stalls locked.
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“Their absence was a quiet rebellion, but one that spoke volumes about the lingering climate of apprehension.
“The government cannot stand by while a few individuals willfully undermine public safety and disregard official directives meant to restore normalcy, this is plain economic sabotage. We are not going to allow this”, Soludo was quoted as saying, framing the closure as a protective measure for the “law-abiding citizen.”
The governor warned that if the traders failed to open the market on Mondays, he would shut down for one month.
“And so on and so forth,” he added, drawing a line in the sand.
“You either decide that you are going to trade here or you go elsewhere. I am very serious about this”, the governor insisted.
The scene at the market was one of tense enforcement. A joint task force of police, army, and other security personnel moved swiftly to secure the perimeter, turning away the few hopefuls who approached.
