Chukwuma Soludo, the Governor of Anambra State, has stated unequivocally that the Monday sit-at-home at markets across the state, particularly in Onitsha and Nnewi, will be ended.
Soludo stated that the state government will no longer tolerate “calculated economic sabotage.”
He revealed this during a news event on Wednesday at the Light House in Awka, declaring that the sit-at-home policy would cease in 2022.
The governor went on to say that individuals who continue to observe it are being funded by certain elements in order to encourage economic sabotage.
He also stated that Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, had distanced himself from the exercise when he visited him in custody upon resuming office as governor in 2022.
The governor expressed concern that, despite several discussions with traders, market leaders, and other stakeholders about ending the sit-at-home in markets across the state, the exercise has continued at Onitsha Main Market, insisting that the closure is a long-term measure to restore economic stability.
He reminded the public that, contrary to popular opinion, the Onitsha Main Market remains the property of the state government and that the government has the authority to withdraw shop ownership from any trader who fails to comply.
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He stated that no conversations are taking place in the ongoing effort to restore market normalcy, threatening that if the shops remain closed by next Monday, they will be closed and all traders will be required to come in for recertification.
He said, “The purpose of this press conference is to clarify the issues at hand and why this must be deepened. This is a struggle for the soul of Anambra’s future. On Monday, I went down to Onitsha, drove through the streets and the traders were on the streets, everywhere was bubbling. But at the Main Market, a government-owned market, everywhere was locked except for a few traders who were trading by the roadside. This was a serious concern that required urgent intervention, which led to the closure of the market for one week.
“The Onitsha Main Market was opened on Mondays throughout the Yuletide season, and after the Yuletide, it became locked again, which shows that it was no longer a sit-at-home. The earlier sit-at-home, people sat at home, and that ended three years ago. Anambra is on the rise; we have secured Anambra. It’s a sabotage and criminal intent to keep Anambra behind with the senseless sit-at-home, and we will do everything possible to ensure no one keeps us behind while the world is moving forward.
“We cannot realize the potential of Anambra if we don’t tackle this now. When I assumed office, we engaged all stakeholders, and we had several releases from IPOB stating that they did not support the sit-at-home. I visited Nnamdi Kanu when I assumed office, and he told me he is not happy with the sit-at-home thing because it’s a way of holding the people down. He said they want to turn the Southeast into a desolate homeland, and he told me that was wrong.
“We engaged, we offered an amnesty program, and we established a committee to identify the remote causes of the violent agitations, including setting up the ‘Missing Persons Bureau,’ but this still persists.”
He added, “If you love Igboland, and you are talking about sit-at-home, there must be a mental problem with the person. How will the children grow if you keep them away from going to school on Mondays? You want to force the region to be observing four days of official activities while the world is on five days; it does not make sense.
“We may want to ask, why Anambra? Why are they targeting the Onitsha and Nnewi markets, and why are the majority of the people doing this not from Anambra? We came in first, we didn’t want to coax anyone, we visited every market, and we told them to open the markets.
“Anybody saying it’s insecurity that is making them not open on Mondays at the Onitsha Main Market, it is a lie because there are about 150 security personnel at the market, and you can’t talk about insecurity.”
According to the governor, the cost of the Monday sit-at-home is significant to the state, and the current effort to recapture the state from economic saboteurs is a moment of reckoning and a time when people must stand up for what is right.
“People talk about the revenue from there, but the revenue from the main market is actually a pittance; it’s about potential. If you don’t open for business on Mondays, you are affecting the people’s economy. They said it’s their right; fair enough, but I have the right to revoke their licenses for operations. The Onitsha Main Market is owned by the state government. If you don’t start opening the place on Monday and observe the full operational days, we will revoke your ownership and give the place to Agunaechemba.
“We are determined in the fight. We are prepared; enough is enough. I am concerned because the people have given me permission to be their chief servant; it is for the sake of our children, the poor people who depend on the market for daily survival. This fight is to secure Anambra and reassure our investors that Anambra does not have a four-day workweek; there is a full working week in this state. People, civil servants, and traders must come out on Mondays. For us, this is a moment of reckoning.
“The calculated economic sabotage to bring down Onitsha must be tackled, and on behalf of the Anambra people, we will tackle it head-on. We have exercised enough restraint. Anybody saying he didn’t open for business because of insecurity is just delusional. Insecurity allows you to go to the stadium to play, it allows you to do walkouts on the streets, but it doesn’t allow you to open your shop,” Soludo added.
The governor also stated that the state will continue to undertake a strong offensive against criminal elements, claiming that Anambra is now one of Nigeria’s safest states. This is not a political issue; it is about livelihood.
He stated, “It is about the poor woman on the streets; it is about investors who are already flooding in because if you avoid doing business on Mondays, it means we have wasted 20 percent of the economic operations.
“We have been patient since 2024 and 2025, but in 2026, we will help you close your shop if you refuse to open on Monday. I have the power to revoke the ownership of shops.
“As for keeping those shops open, there is no negotiation; you either open or you leave the place. By Monday, if it remains closed again, we will shut it down, and every trader will have to come. We are not joking about this.”
Residents had earlier barricaded the Onitsha Head Bridge in protest of the continuous shutdown of the Onitsha Main Market, as directed by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
Protesters barricaded the bridge’s entrances, yelling “No way in, no way out.” Onitsha to Asaba is currently blocked. The African Democratic Congress posted a video titled “Stand Still!”
