Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has warned private school operators and traders in the state that their premises risk being shut if they fail to open for business on Mondays, amid continued sit-at-home disruptions that have affected economic activities.
The governor issued the warning during a press briefing on Thursday, which he later shared on his X page. He said the persistent closure of markets and schools posed a serious threat to the state’s economy and the wellbeing of its residents.
Soludo said he recently toured several major markets across the state, including the government-owned main market in Onitsha, which he described as the largest market in West Africa.
According to him, despite prior warnings, the market remained largely closed during his visit.
He said, “After prayer warnings, we had actually informed all markets, especially the main market, that they must be open or they will be shut down.
“We took effort to even drive through because the traders were on the road, trading. Busy, everywhere else bustling. Then you drive to the main market, and the place was under lock and key, except a few shops that were open. We decided to shut it down for the remainder of this week, and it will remain shut down.”
The governor described the ongoing situation as “a struggle for the soul of Anambra’s future,” stressing that his administration had been given a clear mandate to protect lives, livelihoods, and economic stability.
“Almost 80% of the people have given us mandate to protect and promote their welfare and security. And that we must remain committed to doing 24/7 every day, because Monday is almost the most important day of the week. That’s when suppliers, the people demanding for goods, that’s when they must go and open up,” he said.
“So if you are not opening, people are opening, relocating elsewhere. That’s what we mean by the cost to the state.”
Soludo also condemned the idea of reducing school days, insisting that it was unacceptable in modern times.
“We’re not going to train our children in the 21st century by going to school four days a week. Absolute nonsense,” he said.
“We’re going to open the schools, and we’re going to take the same measures. If you are running a private school, and you are not open, come and slam it and lock it up. Because we’ve given you permission to operate as a school, and in Anambra, school days are Monday through Friday.”
The governor emphasized that the issue extended beyond education, noting that the sit-at-home disruptions were damaging the broader economy.
“For the sake of this state, for our children, for these poor people, poor traders, poor farmers, and those who depend on these markets being open, we cannot have this,” Soludo said.
“So the struggle is to save the economy of Anambra, secure our future, save our children, keep our markets open, and reassure our investors who are pouring in now that Anambra is not a four-day week. It’s a five or six-day week. We need to reassure everybody. We are open for business.”
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