Commercial activities in Onitsha, Anambra State, remained significantly low on Monday as many traders, banks and business owners continued to comply with the sit-at-home order despite repeated warnings from Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
A visit to major markets, including Onitsha Main Market, Ochanja Market, Marine Modern Market, Ose-Ekwodu Market and Biafra Market, showed that only a fraction of shops opened for business, with many traders staying away from their stalls.
The Anambra State Government had earlier warned against compliance with the Monday sit-at-home and threatened to seal shops belonging to traders who failed to open for business. Authorities also announced fines for defaulters as part of efforts to restore economic activities across the state.
However, findings indicated that some traders adopted alternative measures to avoid penalties. While they stayed away from the markets, some reportedly asked neighbouring shop owners to open their stores on their behalf whenever government monitoring teams were in the area.
Aside from the markets, several commercial banks, filling stations and other businesses also recorded low turnout, with many premises remaining shut throughout the day.
Despite the situation in Onitsha, market leaders in other parts of the state reported a higher level of compliance with the government’s directive. The President of the Building Materials International Market, Ogidi, Chief Jude Nwankwo, and the President of Ogbaru Main Market, Chief Ndubuisi Ochiogu, said most traders in their markets now operate on Mondays.
According to them, security personnel attached to the Anambra State Vigilante Group, known as Operation Udo Ga-Achi and Agunechemba, have been deployed to protect traders who choose to open their businesses.
The market leaders also disclosed that sanctions have been introduced for traders who fail to open their shops, including temporary closure of affected stores.
While expressing optimism that normalcy will eventually return, they noted that low customer turnout and transportation challenges remain major concerns, as many residents still avoid travelling on Mondays due to security fears.
