Chairman of Onitsha Main Market Traders Association backs Soludo over shutdown

GOVERNOR Charles Soludo's decision to clamp down on shops observing the Indigenous People of Biafra's (Ipob) Monday sit-ins has received the full support of Chijioke Okpalaugo the chairman of the Onitsha Main Market Traders Association.

In solidarity with Ipob and its incarcerated leader Nnamdi Kanu, who is currently serving a life sentence after being found guilty of seven terrorist offences, markets across the southeast geo-political zone have been shutting every Monday. Despite attempts to end this boycott, the protests have continued and exasperated with it, Governor Soludu of Anambra State decided to take action, shutting down Onitsha market for a week in a bid to compel traders to end the protest.

Supporting the governor's actions, pan-cultural body Ohanaeze Ndigbo said it has become increasingly evident to the Igbo populace that, for over five years now, the unconstitutional Monday sit-at-home directives have wreaked havoc. It blamed the development on what it described as a clandestine cabal within the southeast market leadership.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo claims that this cabal appears to be colluding with the violent enforcers of the Monday sit-at-home edicts. In a further boost for Governor Soludo, Mr Okpalaugo has endorsed his closure of the Onitsha market, describing the move as a wise decision intended to restore the market’s economic glory.

According to the Anambra State government, the closure of the market every Monday was costing the state about N8bn per week. However, Governor Soludo's action triggered a protest by some angry traders in the state who yesterday blocked the River Niger Bridge, which connects Onitsha to Asaba in Delta State.

Mr Okpalaugo said: “His decision is a wise decision and a welcome development. His action came at the right time and the order is for our own good. We are fully in support of his action.

“We have lost so many fortunes since the creation of the Monday sit-at-home in the southeast region. We are fully in support of the governor’s action against the sit-at-home order.”

He insisted that the decision to abolish the sit-at-home in the market was long overdue, arguing that the governor’s action was in the best interests of traders, customers and other residents of the state. Mr Okpalaugo  also reiterated that the market had been losing significant revenue due to the sit-at-home protests.

However, Mr Okpalaugo appealed to the governor to temper justice with mercy and reopen the market for traders. He then appealed to all the traders in the market to remain calm, law-abiding and avoid taking the law into their own hands.

“Our governor, Chukwuma Soludo, is a listening and progressive-minded governor. We strongly believe that, with this appeal, he will consider us and reopen the market for our good because he loves his people.  We are sending a letter of appeal to him to reconsider us by reversing his decision,” Mr Okpalaugo added.