The Igbo Community Association in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) have urged Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, to immediately reopen the Onitsha Main Market and pursue dialogue-based solutions to the ongoing sit-at-home crisis.
In separate statements, both groups warned that prolonged market closures and threats of sanctions against traders could heighten tensions and infringe on citizens’ fundamental rights.
The Igbo Community Association, through its President, Engr. Ikenna Ellis-Ezenekwe, and Secretary General, Mazi Emmanuel Chinwoke Onah, acknowledged Governor Soludo’s contributions to state development but stressed that public frustration over market closures must be addressed. “The people want their markets back; they belong to them. They also want to make statements freely, and as a true son of the soil, you must respect this,” the association said. It further warned that continued closures could trigger unrest, property destruction, and injuries.
RULAAC, led by Executive Director Okechukwu Nwanguma, condemned punitive measures against traders who avoid opening their shops on Mondays due to threats from those enforcing sit-at-home orders. “Compliance is not voluntary but a survival strategy,” Nwanguma said, adding that sealing the market or threatening demolition amounts to “double punishment” for victims.
The group also criticized police warnings against protests, emphasizing that peaceful demonstrations are constitutionally protected. Nwanguma urged the government to engage traders’ unions, market leaders, civil society, and security agencies to develop a credible strategy to address insecurity and the sit-at-home challenge. “A democratic government must never punish people for being afraid when it has failed to make them safe,” he concluded.
Both organizations called for immediate reopening of Onitsha Market and dialogue-driven measures to restore economic activity and public confidence.
