Traders at the Onitsha Main Market partially resumed business activities on Monday following a threat by Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State to extend the initial closure of the market.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Governor Soludo ordered the closure of the market for one week when he visited on 26 January and observed that shops were closed for businesses in compliance with Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)’s sit-at-home directive.
A faction of the outlawed group had initially enforced the illegal sit-at-home.
The Anambra State Government last week claimed, without providing details, that the sit-at-home costs the state about N8 billion per week.
Mr Soludo’s action had triggered a protest by angry traders in the state who, on Tuesday, backed the Monday sit-at-home directive in honour of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
On Wednesday, the protesters blocked the popular River Niger Bridge, which connects Onitsha in Anambra State and Asaba in Delta State, in Nigeria’s South-south.
The governor subsequently threatened to extend the initial closure to at least one month if the traders continued to stay away from the market in observance of the sit-at-home.
In response, IPOB, through a statement on Friday by its spokesperson Emma Powerful, declared a fresh sit-at-home to be observed on Monday (today) in protest against Mr Soludo’s closure of the market.
‘Partial compliance’
However, traders resumed business activities on Monday in defiance of the illegal directive by IPOB.
Multiple traders in the market told PREMIUM TIMES by phone that some shop owners opened for business, but that buyers did not show up.
A shop owner in the market, Arinze Ajaezu, said many traders were present, but that there was no business activity in many parts of the market.
“I went around the market. Many shops opened; some did not.
“Some stayed back and asked their apprentices to open. But there is no business activity,” Mr Ajaezu said in Igbo language.
Another trader, Ifeanyi Ugwu, told PREMIUM TIMES that many shop owners had only opened their shops out of fear of being sanctioned by Governor Soludo.
“Many people did not come. Those who opened their shops were simply staying idle. Nobody will say he or she did business today,” said Mr Ugwu, who is also a commercial truck driver.
The trader added that traders who failed to open their shops might have been discouraged by the sit-at-home directive by IPOB and other pro-Biafra agitators in the South-east.
Video clips
Video clips obtained by PREMIUM TIMES showed a few traders in some sections of the market opening for business on Monday.
In one of the clips, some traders were seen seated in front of their shops at Lagos Articles Line in the market.
However, some video clips showed that many traders shunned
In one of the clips, many shops were locked, while fewer people and vehicles were seen in the area.
businesses along the ever-busy Niger Street/Sokoto Road Section of the market.
In one of the clips, many shops were locked, while fewer people and vehicles were seen in the area.
“We have come to the market, which they asked us to come to. But nothing is happening,” an unidentified man, believed to be a trader, said in the video.
“Please, everybody should start coming to market,” he appealed.
