Anambra Seals 200 Shops At Bridgehead Market Over Sit-At-Home Defiance
Crackdown at Bridgehead Market
THE Anambra State Government has intensified enforcement of its directive against the Monday sit-at-home practice, sealing no fewer than 200 shops at the popular Bridge Head Market in Onitsha.
The enforcement action was carried out by the Onitsha South Local Government Council during a compliance monitoring exercise on Monday. Authorities said the affected shops, spread across six market lines, were found locked despite a statewide order mandating the full resumption of commercial activities every Monday.
Chairman of the council, Mr. Emeka Orji, who led the operation, described the development as regrettable and counterproductive to the state’s economic recovery efforts.
“Economic Sabotage” – Council Boss
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Orji lamented that while many markets and businesses across Onitsha complied with the directive, traders at Bridgehead Market chose to shut down operations.
“It is sad and unfortunate that while the government is making concerted efforts to revive economic activities, some individuals are bent on sabotaging those efforts,” he said.
He characterized the action as economic sabotage and warned that the sealed shops would remain closed until next Monday. According to him, failure by the affected traders to reopen for business could lead to indefinite closure.
Orji further disclosed that there were strong indications that shop allocations might be revoked and reassigned to other traders, subject to the outcome of a full investigation.
Legal Implications Loom
Also speaking, Secretary of the council, Mr. Paul Onuachalla, stressed that the traders’ actions constituted serious offences under the law, including economic sabotage. He reiterated that existing regulations empower the authorities to withdraw shop allocations from defaulters.
The state government has repeatedly called for an end to the sit-at-home culture, describing it as detrimental to commerce and livelihoods. Monday closures, initially linked to separatist agitation in the South-East, have significantly impacted business activities in major commercial hubs such as Onitsha.
With this latest move, the government appears determined to send a clear message that non-compliance will attract firm sanctions, as it seeks to restore full economic activity across Anambra State.
