Sit-at-Home: Ohanaeze Backs Soludo on Closure of Onitsha Main Market
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has thrown its weight behind Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, over the one-week closure of the Onitsha Main Market, describing the move as bold, timely and necessary to halt the economic strangulation of the South-East.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Ohanaeze said the decision aligns with growing concerns among the Igbo populace over the continued enforcement of the Monday sit-at-home order, which it described as unconstitutional and destructive.
The group noted that for more than five years, the directive linked to pro-Biafran agitators has led to the loss of lives, widespread fear and the steady collapse of economic activities across the region.
The statement was jointly signed by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, factional Deputy President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and Chief Chinyereze Ohia, the organisation’s National Spokesperson.
According to Ohanaeze, credible intelligence at its disposal indicates that the persistence of sit-at-home compliance is no longer driven solely by fear of violent enforcers, but also by the alleged involvement of a clandestine cabal within South-East market leadership.
The pan-Igbo group alleged that some market leaders are colluding with enforcers of the sit-at-home order, deliberately sabotaging the efforts of South-East governors to restore normal economic life. It warned that the continued closure of markets every Monday has far-reaching consequences, including economic collapse, loss of livelihoods and the disruption of social and commercial activities.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo views Governor Soludo’s assertive action as not only commendable but a necessary template for other South-East governors,” the statement read. “It sends a clear message that economic sabotage, regardless of who is involved, will no longer be tolerated.”
Reacting to the mass protests that erupted on Tuesday over the closure of the Onitsha Main Market, Ohanaeze urged Governor Soludo to engage directly with the market’s leadership. The group called on the Anambra State Government to compel the leadership of the market to enter into a binding agreement committing them to obey state laws, reject sit-at-home directives and actively support good governance.
Ohanaeze further stressed that restoring confidence in the South-East economy requires firm leadership, transparency and cooperation between government authorities and key economic stakeholders, particularly market unions.
The organisation concluded by reiterating its call for the complete cessation of Monday sit-at-home observances across the South-East, warning that continued compliance would only deepen poverty, unemployment and insecurity in the region.
