Sit-at-Home Has Cost Southeast Huge Economic Losses — Soludo

Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Soludo, has said the prolonged Monday sit-at-home in the Southeast has inflicted severe social, political and economic damage on the region over the past five years.

Speaking to journalists at the State House in Abuja after a private meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Soludo described the impact as enormous, stressing that the weekly shutdown had significantly reduced productivity and weakened investor confidence.

The sit-at-home order, introduced by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in protest over the detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has led to widespread closure of businesses and schools every Monday across many communities.

According to the governor, losing one working day each week amounts to forfeiting about 20 percent of the region’s productive time. With 52 Mondays in a year, he noted that the cumulative effect translates into sustained income losses, reduced business growth and missed development opportunities.

Soludo warned that beyond the immediate disruption, the continued shutdown had long-term consequences, including declining competitiveness and the relocation of investments outside the Southeast.

Despite the setbacks, the governor said signs of recovery were emerging. He revealed that more than 45,000 shops reopened at the Onitsha Main Market on Monday after intensified efforts by authorities to end compliance with the sit-at-home directive.

Describing the development as encouraging, Soludo said he personally visited the market and witnessed widespread jubilation as traders resumed business activities.

“You can imagine the largest market in West Africa shutting down one day every week. The economic implications are enormous,” he said.

He further disclosed that attendance surged to over 100,000 people on the latest market day, with heavy human and vehicular traffic reflecting renewed commercial vibrancy.

Soludo: 62 Criminal Camps Dismantled as Anambra Boosts Security

Governor Charles Soludo has announced that his administration has dismantled no fewer than 62 criminal camps across Anambra State as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen security.

He said the state government established a local vigilante group known as Agunechemba, alongside anti-cultism and anti-touting units, to combat crime and restore order. These security outfits, he explained, are working in coordination to maintain peace across the state.

“When I assumed office, criminal camps operated in several locations. About 62 of them have now been dismantled, and we are not relenting,” Soludo stated.

The governor maintained that Anambra remains one of the safest states in the country, citing the massive influx of visitors and heavy traffic recorded during the last Christmas season as evidence of improved security.

He dismissed claims that his recent meeting with President Tinubu was centered on insecurity, clarifying that security management remains a routine responsibility of the state government.

“I did not visit to discuss security. That is part of our regular duty, and we are handling it,” he said.

While declining to disclose the fate of individuals behind the dismantled camps, Soludo insisted that the criminal hideouts had been effectively neutralized and no longer exist within the state.

He also revealed plans to rehabilitate and modernize the Onitsha Main Market, noting that years of unregulated development had weakened its infrastructure, including the conversion of designated parking areas into makeshift shops.

According to him, restoring the market to its former status as a leading commercial hub in West Africa remains a priority for his administration.