By David-Chyddy Eleke
The Anambra State Government has issued a fresh directive, cancelling a previous order which called for the closure of all food markets in the state and relocating them to other spaces to accommodate the social distancing protocol.
A statement by the state government had on Monday mandated all food sellers to leave their respective markets for designated spaces in various communities and towns from Tuesday. The government had also said that the new markets will only operate from 8am to 3pm daily.
But the state Commissioner for Information, Mr C. Don Adinuba, who spoke to THISDAY in a telephone interview, said the decision has been cancelled.
He said the reason was because government found out that the new spaces allocated were not enough to accommodate the teeming number of traders and their customers, thereby defeating the aim which is social distancing.
He said: “Food sellers will now relocate to their original markets as against the previous directive.
“This is because the spaces where the markets were relocated do not allow for social distancing, so the food sellers will now relocate to their original market, but will only hold three times a week; Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It’s just a little policy adjustment.”
Some traders in most of the communities had protested the relocation order, saying that it would be tasking to move their wares to the new locations, especially as commuters were not allowed to operate.
