The Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Law Mefoh, has revealed that the state loses an estimated ₦8 billion every Monday due to the sit-at-home order enforced by non-state actors.
Speaking on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Mefoh said the practice is significantly disrupting the socio-economic activities of the state.
“Data shows that Anambra is losing around ₦8 billion every Monday the market remains closed,” he stated.
The comments came in the wake of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s directive to shut the popular Onitsha Main Market for a week, following traders’ failure to open their shops on Monday.
Mefoh emphasized that the government has a duty to ensure economic continuity. “Those opposing the directive are being mischievous. This is why the governor rightly described it as economic sabotage,” he added.
He clarified that the decision was not made arbitrarily. “The governor did not wake up one day and decide to close the market. This was a product of a resolution by the Executive Council, which met in a retreat two Mondays ago to find a way to end the Monday sit-at-home,” Mefoh explained.
The commissioner further noted that the closure is not limited to Onitsha Main Market. “All 150-plus markets in Anambra will be monitored, and any found closed on Mondays will face the same enforcement. This is inevitable for now,” he said.
Mefoh also highlighted the long-term impact of the sit-at-home practice, which was abolished four years ago. “If you calculate 56 Mondays a year over four years at ₦8 billion per Monday, the losses exceed a trillion naira. This has to end,” he concluded.
