PHIL OKOSE, Onitsha
The Anambra state government has reiterated its resolve to seal shops that are not open any Monday, in respect of the sit-at-home order, warning that it amounts to economic sabotage of the state.
Sounding the note of warning during a meeting with market chairmen, stakeholders, lines chairmen and secretaries of markets in Idemili zone, held at ASMATA Secretariat, the Special Adviser, (SPAD), to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Trade and Markets, Chief Evarist Ubah, stated that whoever that fails to open his shop on Monday, will have it sealed for one Month.
He stated that days were gone when people used propaganda to frustrate the good intentions of the government and advised the traders to open their shops every Monday to avert the wrath of the state government.
According to SPAD, “We want the markets to open every Monday. I don’t want your shops to be locked up for one month.
What we want to do now is that those that don’t open their shops on Monday should have them sealed and not to seal the entire market because of some people who do not open their shops
“Whoever gives you a threat, send me the name of the person, there is law on cybercrime now, you can be tracked down to come and explain, so be warned of fake news.
“We can’t allow sit-at-home that has lasted for five years to be a tradition. The aim of sit-at-home is to kill our business and we can’t take it, we will continue to check every Monday to ensure that the shops are open”, he stated.
Uba reminded the gathering that those who don’t open their shops will have them sealed and advised them to use town criers to remind the traders that there is no more Monday sit-at-home unless for one who is sick and he has to present genuine reason.
“Any market that fails to open on Monday will have such market shut and handed over to the Agunaechemba security outfit to use as a base” he warned
In his own contribution, the President General, PG, Ogidi Building Materials International market, Chief Jude Nwankwo, commended SPAD for the meeting with the traders pledging that the traders will not disappoint the government as the closure of the markets amounts to economic sabotage of the state.
In his words, “The situation of sit-at-home is over, in other states children go to school but here in Anambra we don’t. We should help the government to help our selves.
The governor has played his role by ensuring the opening of all markets in the state, it is now left for us to ensure the markets are opened every Monday because we lose a lot by shutting our market”, he stated.
Earlier in his speech, the President General, Anambra State Markets Amalgamated traders Association, ASMATA, Chief Humphrey Anuna, expressed satisfaction that governor Soludo took the bull by the horn by physically reopening the markets himself, assuring that every machine has been put in place to ensure security of lives and property in the state.
Chief Anuna advised the traders to open their shops as expected to avoid their shops being sealed by the state government as the governor has vowed to better the welfare of the traders and by extension the people in the state.
In their various remarks, Chiefs Charles Ikeli, chairman of Amalgamated Tyre Dealers Association, ATDA, Nkpor, Samuel Ifurunwa, chairman, Old Motor Car Spare parts Market, Ugwuagba Obosi, and Obiorah Ofoleh, chairman, New Auto Spare parts Market, Nkpor, commended Soludo, SPAD and PG ASMATA for their interest in the welfare of the traders and pledged to abide by the state government’s demand that the markets must be opened on Mondays.
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