OKEY MADUFORO writes on the controversy over the recent closure of the Onitsha Main Market by the governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo, over non-compliance of traders in the market with his directive over the stay-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)

On January 28, Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State visited markets in Onitsha to investigate compliance to his directive that all markets, schools and banks as well as motor parks must open for business. Apparently unhappy with the non-opening of the Onitsha Main Market, he announced its closure for one week and emotions went wild, describing his actions as most despicable.

Despite pressures and pleadings by the traders and sections of the public the governor stood his ground, and even when market leaders had a meeting with him, he refused to back down. A week later, the Onitsha Main Market was reopened for business. Also reopened wete banks, schools and motor parks; a development that indicates that Soludo means business.

The governor, who visited the market upon its reopening, however announced that about 10,000 illegal structures would be demolished to give the largest market in sub-Saharan Africa a befitting look. This announcement is currently generating yet another round of controversy in the state and Soludo’s political traducers have gone to town with allegations of an agenda sell some parts of the market to the governor’s cronies.

Some are even accusing Soludo of brazenness because he has secured a second term ambition, contending that he couldn’t have done so before the gubernatorial election. They also contend that the same traders, who suffered heavy financial losses over closure of the market for one week are the same persons who will have their shops, numbering over 10,000 demolished.

Onitsha Market before now

History had it that in the old Anambra State made up of the current Enugu and Anambra states, successive governments relied on the Onitsha Market to mop up funds for the payment of worker’s salaries and entitlements. It was equally recalled that the nine states that made up the old Eastern Rejoin as well as old Bendel State (now Edo and Delta states) depended wholly on the market, while traders from across West African countries relied on the Onitsha Market.

True to this report, Onitsha has the largest pharmaceutical market in Nigeria as well as other brand of goods and the commercial exchange of goods ranging from food items to fabrics are done in the same Onitsha.

Today, the market appears to be a shadow of itself due to infrastructural decay. The Mayor of Onitsha South Local Government Area, the neighboring council to Onitsha North, Chief Emeka Orji, who spoke on the situation, said: “I was born in Onitsha and I schooled in Onitsha but this is no longer the Onitsha that I know.

“This market was well planned and it had a design that created driveways, motor parks for loading and off-loading of goods. Today, you cannot see those roads because people have built shanties and other illegal structures in the market. “This market had fire-fighting facilities with large pumps connected to a water scheme in the area but you can no longer see those pumps nor even locate where they were and the water scheme had become moribund.”

Orji noted that there are over 15,000 illegal structures in the market, a situation that makes it near impossible for fire-fighters to make it to the lines during emergency. Other markets such as Ochanja, Bridgehead, Drug Market and Ozomagala are currently suffering the same fate. If not for the actions of former Governor Chris Ngige that relocated the Ogbo-Efere and Building Materials markets, among others, one wonders what would have been the fate of these markets.

Soludo’s audacity 

Indeed, it indeed takes political will for a governor made in the nature of Soludo to insist that things must be done the right way. However, political watchers contend that while the ripple effects of the market’s closure is yet to die down, the governor is likely to political support by the time bulldozers make their way to the market in two weeks’ time.

They opined that Soludo should therefore try as much as possible to find an alternative or a buffer for those that may be affected by the demolition hence giving them a soft landing and his administration a human face.

They also contend that the issue of stay-at-home directive was almost dying naturally before the Anambra governor took his stand, expressing fears that the gunmen may return. The lamentations by the traders that they lost huge sums of money during the one week closure of the main market seem to be begging the question when compared with five years of the stay-at-home recording at least N8.3 billion per Monday.

However, these postulations seem to have been taken care of giving the fact that the ranks of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) may have been broken, following in-fighting among its leadership hence making it impossible for them to enjoy the cohesive force the once had. In the case of the 10,000 illegal structures, it was gathered that the governor is considering the concept a soft landing for those that would be affected.

But on the political scale, Governor Soludo is not losing any sleep as he is known for his bluntness on issues and owes no one any apologies over his stand. This was encapsulated by his Senior Special Assistant on New Media, who is also the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Ejimofor Opara, when allegations of brazenness were leveled against his boss.

Opara recalled that Soludo had taken far more brazen decisions before the second term election in Anambra yet he won by landslide in the said election. He insisted that those misrepresentations are not only deficit of plausible evidence but lacks rational judgement. “There are some misrepresentations that are deficit of plausible evidence.

“One of such example is the allegation that Governor Soludo’s ongoing shockwaves across Onitsha Main Market is part of the ‘second term’ brazenness exhibited by most chief executives who abandon critical decisions in the first term until they win a second term bid in political office. “Soludo does not fit into this frame. This is a man whose audacity and fearlessness worries his lieutenants and even the party he leads,” he said.

Opara further recalled that Soludo had declared an end to the Monday s stay-at-home directive by IPOB, which opened up the state for normal commercial activities, adding that he also declared the Obidient Movement as mere headline mobs without considering grave consequences of losing his second term ambition. His words “Four months after Soludo was sworn in 2022, he declared an end to the now infamous “Monday stay-at-home” in Anambra. This declaration opened up most parts of the state for normal businesses.

The lamentations by the traders that they lost huge sums of money during the one week closure of the main market seem to be begging the question when compared with five years of the stay-at-home recording at least N8.3 billion per Monday

“This is the same Soludo who looked at the defiant Obidient pugnacities in the eyes and called them ‘headless mobs’ at a time many political leaders dared not.

“The same Soludo wrote a prophetic piece to Peter Obi at the very crest of his popularity declaring his candidacy as an easy pathway for APC/Tinubu victory.” Opara also dismissed the opposition reminding them of the huge road construction across the state which recorded several personal loses on the masses and also fought the unknown gunmen to a standstill yet won his second term election.

“A Soludo, who began his urban regeneration and road dualization projects in spite of huge personal losses to well-meaning individuals and communities. The Soludo who fought the gunmen to a standstill and reclaimed eight local governments hitherto under their siege,” he said.

Opara also made references to the firm stands of Soludo during the chieftaincy crisis in Awka by looking at one man who claimed to be the monarch of Awka kingdom; UzuAwka Austin Ndigwe, in the face and told him openly not to parade himself as the king of Awka kingdom. “Similarly, Soludo put an end to the Oke-ite fake rituals and the mad house it created. Yet, looked Oba youths in the face at a campaign rally and told them what no politician could dare. Soludo does not work according to term, he works according to plan.

“Just like he doesn’t see the geopolitical cleavages of Anambra North, South and Central – Anambra is one state, one people, one agenda. Soludo’s kind of political leader comes once in a century.

“Let me remind you that in spite of this major disruptions caused by Soludo, he still won his reelection by a historic 73 per cent. If ever there would be a third term Ndi Anambra, who are highly result oriented, would vote for him again more resoundingly!” he stated.