By Ejike Abana
For over five years, Mondays in the Southeast were defined by an eerie silence—the “ghost town” syndrome. But in Anambra State, and by extension, the Southeast, the silence is being replaced by the familiar roar of commerce. Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo’s recent mandate to reopen all markets and shops isn’t just a sudden policy shift; it is the culmination of a strategic, persistent campaign that began the moment he took office in 2022.
Now that the sit-at-home has been officially challenged and ENDED, the question shifts from “Will they open?” To “What happens next?”
It is important to remember that Soludo didn’t just wake up and demand markets open this week. His crusade against the Monday paralysis began in April 2022, just weeks after his inauguration.
At that time, he initiated state-wide prayer sessions with all church denominations, pleading for a return to normalcy. He even visited Mazi Nnamdi Kanu (MNK) in DSS custody in May 2022 to confirm that the sit-at-home did not have the leader’s blessing. As the Governor rightly pointed out to market leaders: “If it doesn’t happen in Umuahia, his [MNK’s] hometown, why Onitsha and Nnewi?”
By highlighting that the enforcement has devolved from a political protest into a “criminal enterprise,” Governor Soludo is stripping away the ideological cover used by those who have crippled the local economy for more than five years.
The “What Next?”:
With the mandate issued, the governor is now pivoting from persuasion to structural transformation. The biggest hurdle had always been fear. Traders weren’t staying home out of protest; they were staying home out of self-preservation. Soludo’s next move was a complete rejigging of the security architecture which involved deploying proactive security presence to prevent harassment, enforcement of “extreme measures” against non-state agitators who infiltrate the state, ensuring motor parks are fully functional on Mondays to facilitate the flow of buyers from neighboring states, among others.
Also, the governor is using this momentum to address the physical decay of the state’s commercial hubs. For example, the Onitsha Main Market chose to be modernized. The goal is to move from a 19th-century “shack” economy to a 21st-century smart-city commerce model.
Now that the “One Anambra” vision is in motion, the next step is regaining the trust of regional partners. When Onitsha and Nnewi shut down, the entire West African supply chain feels the pinch. By guaranteeing Monday operations, Anambra is, again, positioning itself to reclaim its title as the “Light of the Nation” and the beating heart of Igbo commerce. Traders and others involved should take the bull by the horn.
The bottom line is that the era of pleading is over; the era of action has begun. Governor Soludo’s resolve proves that while dialogue was the tool of 2022, governance and enforcement are the tools of 2026. As the traders of Onitsha Main Market, and indeed, every facet of the economy aligns with this vision, the “ghost town” is finally being exorcised by the spirit of industry.
To Governor Soludo; take your flowers.
Congratulations, South East.
