By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
Following the directive of Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, traders at the Onitsha Main Market have resumed normal business activities after a one-week shutdown.
On Sunday, February 1, Soludo had ordered the reopening of the market and warned traders not to comply with the Monday sit-at-home order of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The governor ordered the closure of the market on Monday, January 26, following reports that some traders were observing a Monday sit-at-home order issued by IPOB.
He also warned that failure to reopen the market on Mondays could lead to further closures.
Traders at the Onitsha Main Market on Monday, February 2, reopened their shops in compliance with a directive by the governor.
At the market, many traders were back as early as 8:45 a.m., setting up wares from Egerton to Ose Foodstuff Market and The Young Park, a major entrance to the Main Market.
Observers noted that areas including Emeka Offor Plaza, Sokoto Road, Lagos Line, and Marine were active, with customers patronising shops.
Recall that the proscribed IPOB had called for a lockdown across the South-East on Monday, February 2, in solidarity with Onitsha traders.
However, IPOB’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, discredited the lockdown directive, describing it as “a fake” and “a calculated falsehood,” urging the public to ignore it. He added that IPOB had long denounced sit-at-home orders.
Also, the Anambra State Police Command on Sunday issued a warning to residents, highlighting the threats posed by non-state actors on social media, saying such threats are intended “to cause panic, undermine public confidence, and disrupt the peace currently enjoyed in the state.”
