|By Chinwendu Nwani
Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, has reopened the New Motorcycle Spare Parts Market, popularly known as Nkwo Nnewi, after enforcing a one-week shutdown over traders’ failure to comply with the state’s directive abolishing the Monday sit-at-home.
The market was sealed last Monday following an inspection led by the governor’s Special Adviser on Trade and Markets, Evaristus Uba, who reported a sparse turnout of traders. The development, according to government officials, signaled defiance of the state government’s order mandating full commercial activities on Mondays.
Uba, speaking on behalf of the governor, had issued a stern warning that the closure would be extended if traders continued to boycott Monday trading. The ultimatum triggered tension across the commercial hub, widely regarded as a nerve centre for motorcycle spare parts distribution in the South-East.
However, the tide shifted on Monday when the Chairman of Nnewi North Local Government Area, Echezona Anazodo, conducted a fresh inspection and confirmed a significant turnout of traders. Satisfied with the level of compliance, the state government immediately lifted the ban.
Anazodo commended traders for responding to the directive but warned that the government would not hesitate to sanction defaulters.
“I’m happy to see that traders complied with the order to resume business. If we had even half of this turnout last week, the market would not have been shut down,” he said.
He added that officials would embark on a shop-to-shop enforcement exercise to seal stores belonging to traders who still refused to open for business. According to him, the government would no longer punish the entire market for the actions of a few individuals.
“We will seal shops of those who failed to open. We don’t want a situation where everyone suffers because of a handful of traders. Those who violate the directive will bear the consequences,” Anazodo declared.
Meanwhile, indications have emerged that another market in Ihiala Local Government Area has been shut down for alleged non-compliance with the same directive. Though yet to be officially confirmed, sources disclosed that government officials arrived at the facility only to find it under lock and key, prompting a one-week closure.
Ihiala has historically recorded heightened separatist tensions, particularly during the peak of pro-Biafra agitations. At the height of the unrest, criminal elements reportedly established camps in parts of the area, posing as agitators and creating a climate of fear that disrupted economic activities.
The latest enforcement measures underscore the Soludo administration’s determination to dismantle the lingering culture of sit-at-home compliance and restore full economic operations across Anambra State.
