Anambra state governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered the shutdown of the Onitsha main market for complying with the existing sit-at-home order in the state this Monday.
Soludo, who was in the market to get a first-hand experience, announced that he is shutting down the market for one week as a consequence of disobeying government orders. The governor already issued a stern warning to traders in the market to cease locking their shops up on Monday.
” Today, I have ordered the shutdown of the Onitsha Main Market for one week due to the protracted economic sabotage cloaked as “Monday sit-at-home”. Going forward, this order would apply to any other market in Anambra that shuts down on Monday,” says Soludo.
” This action is not taken lightly, as I am determined to protect the economic interests of our state and its people. No individual or group has the right to halt the lives and livelihoods of the people,” he added.
The governor pleaded with traders to disregard the Monday sit-at-home, which he referred to as economic sabotage. He urged traders to resume business as usual and reflect on how their actions were hurting the economic interests of the state and the region.
The Monday sit-at-home has continued in various parts of the southeast region, disrupting business as usual and affecting the academic calendar of schools in the region. The civil disobedience, which started as a solidarity movement for the incarcerated IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, has morphed into a tradition strictly observed by a large section of the southeastern populace.
Civil Disobedience or Insecurity Issue?
What started as civil disobedience and a solidarity movement has turned into a full tradition officially ascribing a three-day weekend in the southeast region. In Onitsha, Mondays are now an extension of the weekend, serving as days for celebrations, functions, and gatherings by families, associations, and Kin.
The extra weekend day is fully observed by schools, markets, banks, offices, and players in the private sector. The government has tried various approaches to dissuade this from happening, all to no avail.
The Indigenous People of Biafra ( IPOB ), originally credited with starting the movement, has reportedly denied their approval of its continuity. The separatist group, through its media aides have continuously issued disclaimers following the continuity of the act.
However, this has done little to put an end to the act. Several accounts from ordinary people suggest that the fear of insecurity and the probability of getting hurt during the affected day are strong deterrents and are responsible for the active participation of the populace.
The fears of the people were heightened by attacks by armed non-state actors in the early days of the civil disobedience. Although this is no longer happening, the fear factor of a possible attack still plays a key role in keeping people indoors.
The Anambra government will have to apply tact and serious strategy to put an end to the act. Soludo’s ordering the shutdown of the Main market over the issue reeks of frustration, and its chances of solving the problem will depend on people’s reaction and how the government responds to that.
