The governor warned that his administration will no longer tolerate actions he described as deliberately aimed at crippling the state’s economy.
Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has described the continued refusal by some traders and residents to open their businesses on Mondays as “calculated economic sabotage” to destroy the state’s business potential.
The governor warned that his administration will no longer tolerate actions he described as deliberately aimed at crippling the state’s economy.
Addressing residents of the state on Thursday, the governor accused unnamed actors of attempting to “bring down” major commercial centres such as Onitsha and Nnewi through persistent sit-at-home practices, despite repeated government directives.
In recent days, the governor has taken drastic measures by temporarily shutting Onitsha Main Market to ensure that residents no longer comply with the ‘sit-at-home’ order imposed by secessionist leaders, who advocate for the Southeast’s independence and demand the release of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu.
“It’s now calculated economic sabotage to bring down Onitsha, to bring down Nnewi, to bring down the economy of the state,” Soludo said in his address.
“And I will tell you what, you can do that with any other person, but not with this governor standing here.”
The governor declared that his administration was resolute in reclaiming the state from what he described as forces of lawlessness and fear.
“We are determined on behalf of the Anambra people. We must take back our state. We are going to take back our state, whatever it costs. We are determined. It’s not yet 100%,” he added.
Soludo also sought to reassure residents about the security situation, insisting that the government is intensifying operations against criminal groups across the state.
“We are still massively launching massive onslaughts on these criminal elements in our state. And Anambra is currently, without any doubt, one of the safest states in Nigeria,” he claimed.
“Those who claim to be the safest, even the enemy will agree that we’re one of the safest states in Nigeria.”
He further warned that schools and markets that fail to comply with the directive to open for business on Mondays will face severe sanctions.
“Because by Monday, those of them, any of them that fail to be open again, are going to be locked, maybe for two weeks. I’m not joking with this. We’re very clear about what must happen,” the governor said.
Soludo concluded by framing the enforcement measures as part of his broader vision of transforming Anambra into a continuously productive state.
“The new Anambra that we’re building 24 by 7 must come to pass. God has willed it, and we humans must make it happen,” he said.