SIT AT HOME: Soludo Marks 10,000 Shops For Demolition In Onitsha Main Market, Gives Traders 14 Days To Move

Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has issued a 14-day ultimatum to traders in Onitsha Main Market to move as he marked no fewer than 10,000 shops for demolition in the market.

The governor issued the order amid controversy over his closure of the market for one week on Monday, January 26, over traders’ continued observance of the Monday sit-at-home, despite repeated government directives abolishing the practice.

Governor Soludo ordered the closure of the market during an unscheduled visit to the market, where he observed that a significant number of shops remained shut in defiance of the state government’s order lifting the sit-at-home linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The governor had described the persistent closure of businesses on Mondays as unacceptable and warned that the government would no longer tolerate actions capable of undermining economic activities and public order in the state.

He had issued a stern warning to traders in the state, insisting that they must open their shops for business from Monday to Saturday or relocate elsewhere.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that traders at the Onitsha Main Market partially complied with Governor Soludo’s order to shun the sit-at-home practice and open shops from Monday to Saturday every week.

Despite the partial compliance with the government order to shun the Monday sit-at-home, traders at Onitsha lamented that they came to their shops only to find out that over 10,000 shops have been marked for demolition in the market, with a 14-day deadline for them to move out.

A trader, Uzochukwu Joseph Okoye, who owns a clothing shop at the market, said, “I opened today. I opened last Monday, but the market is not filled like last Monday.”

Asked about the situation at the market, he said, “The situation is that we came this morning and saw a lot of paints in our shops that we should move in 14 days. But that 14 days is too short. We cannot do anything within 14 days.

“A lot of people are in the market, ready to trade despite the fact that we do not see customers. Even when we were coming, transportation was also an issue.

“I’m pleading with the governor to also work on transportation and banks so that everywhere will operate fully on Mondays.  This morning, some banks were not open, and some transportation companies are not operating.”

He noted that finding Keke Napep and commercial buses was a problem, making it almost impossible for traders to go to their shops.

On why their shops are marked for demolition, Okoye said that Governor Soludo is complaining that the Onitsha Main Market has been messed up, hence, the need for the demolition.

“But we, the traders know that before developers built these shops, I got approval from the state government, and the government gave them the standard approval of the shops to build.

“After building, the developers sold them to us, and we have been paying tax to the government. Now the governor marks all these shops as bad. He marked more than 10,000 shops, saying that those more than 10,000 shops should be removed.”

Okoye lamented that the most painful part of the planned demolition is that the government could provide an alternative for them.

Pleading with the governor to be patient with the traders, Okoye said, “If it is about Monday business, I’m sure that within two weeks, Main Market will be in full operation. Business will be booming and everything will be working normally.”

Okoye added, “We are even tired of staying at home but the challenges are transportation, banks and other things, which the government has promised to provide adequate security for us.”

He noted that what traders are asking is more time like one year for them to trade throughout this year 2026, “Then by January 2027, Soludo still has up to three years in office, he can start building whatever he wants to build.”

He said the traders need enough time to look for alternative shops elsewhere, noting that Onitsha Main Market is already filled up with not even a quarter shop space available.

“The governor marked more than 10,000 shops for demolition, and if you calculate the over 10,000 shop by their families, you will have about 50,000 families who will be stranded.

“That is not normal. How can those stranded families feed? How can they pay school fees? Many people’s blood pressure is already high. I took three people to the hospital this morning because of this issue before coming to the shop.”

He stressed, “Two weeks is too short. We cannot do anything for two weeks. Let the governor give at least one year so we can plan our lives. We also mean well for Anambra State.”