The Anambra State Government has ordered the reopening of the Onitsha Main Market on Monday, restoring full commercial activities after a one-week shutdown imposed over non-compliance with its directive against the Monday sit-at-home.

The market, one of West Africa’s largest trading hubs, was sealed after Governor Chukwuma Soludo found that many traders continued to observe the outlawed sit-at-home despite repeated warnings. During an unscheduled visit to the market, the governor directed security agencies to close all entrances, insisting that economic life in the state could no longer be held hostage by fear or defiance of government orders.

Announcing the end of the closure, Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, said traders are to resume normal business on Monday. He stressed that there is no officially recognised sit-at-home in Anambra and urged market leaders to mobilise their members back to their shops.

Mefor assured traders and residents that security agencies have been fully deployed to protect lives and property in and around the market. He encouraged the public to report any suspicious activity or security threat through the state’s emergency line, 5111, promising swift response from law enforcement.

The commissioner also reiterated the state government’s tough stance on absenteeism in the public sector. He reminded civil servants and teachers that the pro-rata salary policy remains in effect, meaning anyone who stays away from work on Mondays without approval will forfeit that day’s pay.

Parents were warned to ensure their children attend school on Mondays, as the government moves to normalise the academic calendar and prevent learning disruptions linked to the sit-at-home culture. According to the statement, sanctions may be applied against parents or guardians who keep children at home without valid reasons.

The reopening of Onitsha Main Market is seen as a key test of the government’s resolve to restore confidence in public safety and reclaim Mondays as regular business days. With the administration insisting that non-state actors no longer dictate movement or economic activity, attention now shifts to how traders, workers and schools respond to the latest directive.