Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, is set to meet leaders of major markets across the state on Thursday in a renewed push to address the lingering sit-at-home compliance that has continued to disrupt commercial activities, despite official directives to resume business.
The meeting, scheduled for January 29, will bring together chairmen and secretaries of various market unions at the International Convention Centre (ICC), Awka. It is being convened under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Commerce, with invitations extended through a formal notice endorsed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade and Markets, Mr. Evarist Uba.
Government insiders insist the engagement is not a retreat in the face of pressure, but a strategic intervention aimed at restoring normalcy. A senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, maintained that the initiative followed appeals from some market leaders seeking government intervention to enable the reopening of their markets and a return to lawful trading.
According to the notice, the invitation covers the leadership of the Anambra State Market Traders Association (ASMATA), including zonal and line executives, underscoring the administration’s intent to secure broad-based buy-in from stakeholders at all levels.
The development comes against the backdrop of heightened tension at the Onitsha Main Market earlier in the week, when authorities ordered the closure of the market and deployed security operatives to enforce compliance. Traders had cited the continued detention of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, as justification for observing the sit-at-home directive.
However, market leaders, wary of the economic toll on traders and the wider state economy, reportedly reached out to the government to seek leniency and a pathway back to business.
Sources disclosed that Thursday’s meeting will be conducted under tight security, with comprehensive screening of participants. This, officials said, is a precautionary measure to prevent any attempt by non-state actors or separatist elements to hijack the engagement.
