The Anambra State Government has announced the reopening of the Onitsha Main Market on Monday, February 2, following a one-week forced closure. Governor Chukwuma Soludo ordered the shutdown after traders complied with the longstanding Monday sit-at-home order enforced by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), defying the state’s directive.
The government now asserts there is “no longer any form of sit-at-home on Mondays in Anambra State,” urging full compliance and assuring residents of security. The move comes despite IPOB’s declaration of a total lockdown across the South-East in protest of the market closure, setting the stage for a test of wills between state authority and the separatist group’s influence.
Key Points:
The reopening marks a decisive, enforced attempt by the state government to break the economic and social stranglehold of the unofficial Monday lockdown.
It represents a direct challenge to IPOB’s authority and its ability to enforce compliance through fear, aiming to reassert state control over public order.
The government is coupling the reopening with strict financial disincentives, including a pro-rata salary policy for civil servants and warnings to parents.
The situation creates a potential flashpoint, as IPOB’s call for a solidarity lockdown directly contradicts the government’s order for normalcy.
The success of this policy hinges on the government’s ability to provide credible security assurances that overcome the deep-seated fear driving compliance with the sit-at-home.
The state has drawn a clear line in the sand, making the coming Monday a critical test of its capacity to restore lawful economic activity and dismantle the paralysing legacy of the sit-at-home tradition.
Sources: The Cable, Vanguard, Premium Times
