Maduako Igbokwe l Saturday, March 26, 2022
ONITSHA, Anambra, Nigeria – Governor of Anambra State Prof. Charles Soludo has directed that with effect from Monday, April 4, 2022, all markets, schools, banks and motor parks in the state must resume for normal activities.
He warned that, with effect from the said date, any market leader or chairman, who failed to mobilize traders for Monday business in his market will lose his position; noting that any trader who failed to open his shop on Monday will also lose his shop in the market.
Soludo who spoke at the Women Development Center, Awka, at a forum with traders and transporters in Anambra said the state and the southeast, have lost several billions of naira as a result of boycott of activities every Monday.
“Every Monday sit-at-home must end in Anambra. Normal activities must resume in earnest. With the Monday sit-at-home, the southeast economy is sinking gradually. When you boycott activities in Anambra or any other part of the southeast, normal activities are going on in other parts of the country. When normal activities are going on in other places, the person or persons you want to show your anger is not actually feeling what you are doing. You are only destroying your home.
“It is high time we came back to our senses and do the right thing. We have proper ways and procedures to express our agitation than to engage in activities that can only destroy our home. In other parts of the country, school children attend classes for five days; but in Anambra and other parts of the southeast, it is only four days. At the end of the day, our children will go into common or unity exams with other children from other parts of the country.
“Today, many businesses and investors are relocating to Asaba and other places. This is killing our economy and we cannot afford to continue that way. Personally, I endorsed the joint decision of Igbo elders, bishops and others that there should be tripartite conversation about the issue of Nnamdi Kanu and Biafra agitation. Therefore, we must do things the right way; while we await such conversation.
“Therefore, with effect from Monday, April 4, 2022, every school, bank, market, motor pack and other human activities will resume in earnest. Any market leader, who fails to mobilize traders in his market will be sanctioned; and any trader who fails to open his shop for business every Monday will also face sanction. School heads and operators of financial institutions should also take note.
“On our part as government, we are mobilizing security agencies, including the armed forces and informal security organizations to take charge, and to move all over the state to ensure that lives and property of our people are protected. Very soon, our people will start seeing heavy presence of the security operatives.”he said
President General of Bridge Head Market, Onitsha, Mr. Sunday Obinze, who spoke on behalf of the traders, assured the governor that market leaders will sensitize traders on the need to open their shops on Mondays. He urged the state government to ensure that security agencies are everywhere in the state to ensure that innocent citizens are not molested.
President of Urban Drivers Welfare Association, Mr. Moses Ohaebo, also assured the governor that the union will mobilize their members to the roads as the governor has assured of security of their lives and property.
