A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Joe Igbokwe, has criticised the leadership of the Onitsha Main Market over the ongoing shutdown of business activities, describing the situation as troubling and dangerous for Anambra State.
Tension has continued to rise in Onitsha following the decision of Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, to shut down the popular market for allegedly defying his directive against the Monday sit-at-home order. The closure has led to confrontations between security operatives enforcing the order and traders protesting the shutdown.
Governor Soludo has warned that the market could face demolition if traders fail to resume business activities by next Monday.
Reacting to the development in a Facebook post on Tuesday, Igbokwe said the unfolding events suggest that some individuals within Anambra are complicit in the insecurity affecting the South-East. He alleged that the resistance to reopening the market points to local sponsorship of criminal activities in the region.
According to him, the governor has made the state government’s position clear: traders must reopen the market and carry out their legitimate businesses or face further sanctions, including a prolonged shutdown.
Igbokwe accused some market leaders of acting as though they are above the law, claiming their actions portray them as supporters and sponsors of outlawed groups, including the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). He warned that authorities would no longer tolerate what he described as “madness” and criminality in the South-East.
He further stated that the state was at a critical point, insisting that those backing unrest would soon be confronted and forced to abandon their actions. According to him, the choice before the market leadership and their supporters is to embrace peace and lawful conduct or face the consequences of defying government authority.
Igbokwe stressed that efforts were underway to reclaim the South-East from criminals and violence, adding that the ongoing situation in Onitsha would serve as a turning point in restoring order and normalcy in the region.
