Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has served a thunderous warning to traders across the state, declaring that his government has the legal power to revoke market lands, including the historic Onitsha Main Market, and convert them to other public uses such as schools or security facilities.
The governor dropped the bombshell on Thursday during a high-level meeting with leaders of the Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA) at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Awka, amid growing concerns over sit-at-home compliance and market absenteeism.
Soludo said the law empowers him to revoke market premises for overriding public interest and repurpose them for projects that serve the greater good, stressing that such decisions are well within his constitutional authority. He explained that affected landowners would be compensated, noting that while compensation amounts could be challenged in court, the revocation itself could not.
Cracking down hard on closed shops, the governor directed all Local Government Mayors to begin monitoring market activities from 10 a.m. on every market day, including Mondays. Shops found shut without justification are to be documented and reported to him for possible sanctions ranging from permanent closure and fines to outright revocation.
In a move to calm rising tension, Soludo assured traders that his administration would provide adequate security within and around market premises to wipe out fears of insecurity and restore confidence for unhindered business operations.
The governor also disclosed that the state government had, as far back as 2023, completed designs to remodel Onitsha Main Market into a modern commercial hub. He lamented that the market is currently overcrowded with shanties and illegal structures but said the project was temporarily shelved due to the absence of a relocation plan for traders during reconstruction.
Reaffirming his commitment to the project, Soludo said the market would eventually be modernised and equipped with world-class facilities befitting its status as the largest market in West Africa, adding, “all these our efforts are geared towards the best interest of the traders, our children and our grandchildren”.
To chart the way forward, the governor summoned all leaders of Onitsha Main Market to an emergency roundtable meeting scheduled for Friday, January 30, at 11 a.m. at the Light House, New Government House, Awka. Discussions will centre on reopening strategies or a possible temporary closure to allow the modernisation work to begin in earnest.
The meeting was attended by top market leaders across Anambra State, including ASMATA President-General, Chief Humphrey Anuna; ASMATA Patron and President of Building Materials International Market, Ogidi, Chief Jude Nwankwo; President of Ogbaru Main Market, Chief Ndubuisi Ochiogu; Chairman of Onitsha Main Market, Chief Okpalugo, alongside several other market presidents and chairmen.
