Anambra traders say they’re not defying Soludo out of stubbornness fear, not defiance, is keeping shops shut on Mondays.
Traders at Onitsha Main Market are asking the Anambra State Government for serious security backing before enforcing Gov. Chukwuma Soludo’s directive to end the Monday sit-at-home.
This follows the state’s decision to shut the market and adjoining ones for one week, after traders failed to open on Mondays despite repeated government orders. The sit-at-home, imposed by non-state actors in the South-East, has lasted nearly four years and badly hit business across the region.
But traders say the government’s move feels overbearing and risky. Many argue that previous attempts to reopen on Mondays led to killings, arson and destruction of shops, leaving them traumatised and afraid.
According to them, a week-long closure is worse than a one-day sit-at-home — disrupting supply chains, destroying perishables, triggering layoffs, and deepening cash-flow problems for small businesses.
Some also question the legal basis for forcing traders to open, insisting that in a free-enterprise society, business owners should decide when to trade — not be compelled under threat of sanctions.
While some residents praise Soludo’s stance as bold and necessary for economic recovery, even supporters agree that security must come first to avoid fresh violence.
Traders say they’re ready to trade — but not at the cost of their lives.
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