Anambra Loses N8bn Weekly to Sit-At-Home, Commissioner Defends Market Shutdown

The Anambra State Government has said the continued sit-at-home practice is inflicting severe economic damage on the state, costing an estimated N8 billion every Monday.

The Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, made this known on Tuesday during an interview, where he described the practice as a major threat to the state’s socio-economic wellbeing.

According to him, official data shows that the closure of markets on Mondays has led to massive financial losses, particularly in commercial hubs across the state.

“Available statistics indicate that Anambra loses about ?8 billion each Monday markets remain closed,” he said.

Mefor’s comments came in response to Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s directive ordering the temporary closure of the Onitsha Main Market for one week after traders failed to open for business on Monday.

He maintained that it is the responsibility of government to keep economic activities running and prevent actions capable of crippling the state’s economy.

Those criticising the government’s decision, Mefor said, are deliberately undermining economic stability, adding that the governor was right to describe the situation as economic sabotage.

He explained that the decision to enforce compliance was not taken unilaterally by Governor Soludo but was reached collectively by the state’s Executive Council.

“The governor did not act on impulse. The decision followed deliberations by the Executive Council during a retreat held two Mondays ago, where a firm resolution was taken to end the sit-at-home in Anambra,” he said.

Mefor stressed that the policy would be enforced statewide and not restricted to Onitsha Main Market alone.

He disclosed that the government would extend its monitoring to all markets across the state, warning that any market found shut on a Monday would face similar sanctions.

“We have more than 150 markets in Anambra State, and they will all be visited. Any market that remains closed on a Monday will receive the same treatment. It is unavoidable at this point,” he said.

The commissioner further noted that the sit-at-home directive was officially lifted four years ago, yet economic losses have continued to mount.

“When you consider 56 Mondays in a year over four years and multiply that by N8 billion, the total loss runs into well over a trillion naira. This cannot continue,” he added.