Anambra Local Government Seals Over 200 Shops For Obeying Sit At Home Order

Authorities in the Onitsha South Local Government Area of Anambra State have sealed more than 200 shops at the Bridge Head Market.

The local government took this action because the shop owners failed to open for business on Monday.

The traders chose to obey the illegal sit at home order instead of following the directive of the state government.

During a monitoring exercise on Monday, officials found the shops totally locked. They noticed that there was no commercial activity in the affected areas of the market.

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The monitoring team immediately sealed the entrances to six market lines and used new padlocks to lock the shops.

Emeka Orji, the Chairman of Onitsha South Local Government Area, led the enforcement team alongside Paul Onuachalla, the Secretary of the Council.

Orji spoke to journalists on Tuesday. He described the decision of the traders to close their shops as sad and counterproductive.

He stated that the government is working hard to restore normal business activities across the state.

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“It is sad and unfortunate that while the state government is making concerted efforts to revive economic activities in Anambra State on Mondays, some individuals are bent on sabotaging those efforts,” Orji said.

He pointed out that other markets in Onitsha were open for business, but traders at the Bridge Head Market refused to operate. He warned that the government would not tolerate such actions anymore.

“This amounts to economic sabotage against the state, and we will no longer tolerate such actions. The affected shops will remain sealed until next Monday.

If the traders fail to comply by reopening for business on that day, the closure will be extended indefinitely,” the chairman added.

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Onuachalla also addressed the media. He explained that the government could take away the shops from the current owners and give them to other people. He noted that closing shops on Mondays is a serious offense that aids unlawful activities.

“As a council, we cannot treat such matters with kid gloves. We expected the traders to learn from the earlier closure of the Onitsha Main Market.

However, they apparently believed they could disregard the government’s directive without consequences. They must now face the full weight of the law, and there will be no compromise,” Onuachalla stated.

He added that the shop allocations are currently under review. He reminded the public that the government has the legal power to revoke shop allocations in the public interest.