One of the traders at Onitsha Main Market, Gibson Okafor, has explained why many traders have been unable to open their shops on Mondays despite the Anambra State Government’s directive to resume business.
His comments followed Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s decision to shut the market for one week over what the government described as traders’ continued compliance with the Monday sit-at-home order imposed by non-state actors.
The governor had warned that failure to reopen after the one-week closure would result in an additional shutdown, with the possibility of even longer closures if the situation persists.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme on Wednesday, Okafor said the challenge was not a lack of willingness by traders, but the absence of adequate security and transportation routes leading to the market on Mondays.
“The governor promised security, but only what he will do, because some people are coming from Nkpor, Asaba, and other areas. They need transporters to operate and security along the routes so traders can come to the market.
“If they don’t see security men and transporters, they can’t come to the market. Everything has to be in order so that traders would have the means to reach the market. The governor promised us that—that is what I heard from them—but we haven’t seen it,” Okafor said.
He noted that while security operatives may be present around the market, traders remain vulnerable on their way to the commercial hub. Okafor also urged the state government to ensure that commercial banks operate on Mondays, stressing that banking services are critical to business activities in the market.
According to him, the continued closure of banks on Mondays discourages customers, who are unable to access cash to make purchases.
“Governor Soludo has put security everywhere, but for the Monday sit-at-home, they have to increase it and tell the banks to open. When the banks are closed, our customers won’t come to the market because they don’t have money to buy goods—that’s the problem,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, revealed that the state suffers massive economic losses every Monday as a result of the sit-at-home practice. Speaking on The Morning Brief on Tuesday, he disclosed that Anambra loses an estimated ₦8 billion each week due to the shutdown of economic activities.
“Statistics have it that Anambra is losing an average of ₦8 billion every Monday that the market is shut,” he said.
Mefor maintained that the state government has a duty to protect economic activities and livelihoods, insisting that Governor Soludo’s action was necessary to prevent further damage to the state’s economy.
“Those who are opposing it are simply being mischievous. That is why the governor rightly called it economic sabotage,” he said.
What you should know
The Monday sit-at-home practice has significantly disrupted commercial activities in Anambra State, particularly in major hubs like Onitsha Main Market, one of West Africa’s largest markets.
While the state government insists it has provided security to encourage businesses to reopen, traders argue that insecurity along access routes and the closure of banks remain major obstacles.
The situation has led to sharp economic losses, with the government estimating billions of naira lost weekly. Governor Soludo’s enforcement measures reflect growing pressure on authorities to restore economic normalcy while addressing traders’ safety concerns.
