Sit-at-home: Monarch commends Soludo for ending sit-at-home in Anambra 

……advises him on Onitsha market demolition

By Cyprian Ebeke, Onitsha

The traditional ruler of Umuona community,. Aguata Local Government area, Anambra State, Igwe Christopher Sunday Ezeofor, has commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo for ending Monday sit-at-home order adding that it was an ill wind that blew nobody good for five consecutive years.

He lamented that within the period under review that the people found themselves in  unexpected socio-economic and political quagmire that ravaged the entire race as if it were in a war era.

He however expressed optimism that Igbos as very enterprising people will in no distant time recover all that they lost stating that it is always easier to destroy than to build.

On the plan by Governor Chukwuma Soludo to demolish illegal structures within Onitsha Main market to give it a facelift that will benefit a market of that high level standard, Igwe Ezeofor urged him to tread with caution advising him not to rush the demolition exercise.

His words, “Governor Soludo should first build an extension market for those whose shops will be demolished so that they move to the extension prior to the demolition. This is to keep them busy with their trade instead of allowing them to look for where they will stay which will become impossible.

“Before you know it some will be involved in kidnapping, armed robbery, thuggery, terrorism and all manners of violent crimes and it is the people in the state that will suffer it most. So I plead to the governor to build an extension of Onitsha main market somewhere for those that will be victims,” he pleaded.

The monarch also spoke on the need to assist the apprentice, (Igba boi), trader to have a place (extension) market after his years of stay as apprentice trader.

“When such a provision is made by the state government the fear of high stallage fee will be discarded and the apprentice trader will not spend much on payment of the stallage fee. 

“You don’t expect the apprentice trader to pay for a stall fee of #7million in a privately owned shop when his master sent him out on completion of apprenticeship  tenure with #2million,” he stated.