At Last, Soludo Ends Sit-at-home on Mondays, Shops at Onitsha Main Market

• HURIWA commends traders, Soludo for victory

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

The governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, seems to have ended the perennial sit-at- home exercise by traders, as markets across the state opened for business on Monday.

There was a huge attendance at the market yesterday by traders and customers who, about 12 noon, opened their shops fully for normal businesses, contrary to fears that there may be attacks on traders.

The order by the governor for markets to open for Monday business was thought by many to have aggravated the fragile security in Anambra State.

As early as 6am, streets in parts of Anambra State were deserted with zero vehicular movements, while school buses were without pupils, as most feared attacks.

In most parts of Onitsha Main Market, shops were under lock and key, while entire areas were deserted. But in other parts, while shops were locked, the traders milled around, apparently afraid of opening their shops for possible attacks.

However, about 12 noon, traders picked up courage and opened their shops for business.

A trader who spoke to our correspondent in Lagos Line, Onitsha Main Market, stated that traders signed attendance register with clock in time, to show their attendance as ordered by Soludo.

A trader at Emeka Offor plaza, Mrs. Chinyere, who deals on phone accessories, said, “We are happy that Monday trading has commenced. We thank Soludo for making it happen. How can people be trading in other parts of South-east, but here in Anambra we cannot do same. We are happy with Soludo.”

There was a high presence of security in and around the markets as police and military vans patrolled round the areas.

Soludo arrived the markett around 2pm, with the traders cheering him for defeating their fears and ending the sit-at-home exercise. He also shopped in the market, moving from shop to shop to patronise traders.

He said, “We have ended sit-at-home in Onitsha. For the first time in five years, Onitsha is opened for business. We are happy, and I want to declare that those of you who came out today are the original Anambra people. I’m going to shop in main market today. I’m an original Onitsha boy, don’t be surprised if I haggle with you on prices of items.”

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) praised traders of Onitsha Main Market in Anambra State for opening their shops on Monday.

HURIWA, in a press statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, also praised Soludo for the courage to end what it called the perennial sit-at-home on Mondays.

Onwubiko said, “We congratulate the traders of Onitsha Main Market for opening their shops today, and we also want to thank the Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo for the courage to end this perennial sit at home.

“Ending the sit-at-home in the entire South-east of Nigeria would significantly lead to the eventual resuscitation of the economy of Igboland that has suffered prolonged disturbances and killings by armed terrorists.”

The group also lamented the resurfacing of dreaded IPOB commander, Mr. Ifeanyi Okorienta Eze, also known as Gentle de Yahoo, who had been declared captured by the Nigerian Army.

It “advocated the demonstration by heads of the security forces of the capacity to end the insecurity in Nigeria and for the government officials to be honest in their public dealings with the members of the public”.

Onwubiko stated, “Defence Headquarters must transparently resolve the controversy surrounding the appearance of the notorious terrorist mastermind in Imo State ‘Gentle de Yahoo’.

“Defence Headquarters (DHQ) debunked a viral video in which Gentle De Yahoo, was seen claiming that he was alive and had returned. The military high command, speaking through the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, during a press briefing on Friday, stated that the video might have been generated using Artificial Intelligence (AI).

“Nigerians are obviously watching the Nigerian Government and the Defence Headquarters to come out with credible evidence of the situation of the alleged terrorism mastermind in Imo State.

“The Defence Headquarters owes Nigerians the duty to prove that there was no intention on their part to lie to Nigerians. The report of the investigation as promised by the Defence Headquarters should be publicised for Nigerians to read and evaluate the credibility or otherwise of the probe.”