₦airaland Forum

Soludo Magic: How Sit-At-Home Ended In Anambra

By Law Mefor

All that change requires in a society is strong leadership and political determination to see it through. Palliative governance is the most that any leadership can achieve without political will and strong leadership. No hardcore reforms are feasible since the masses will fight change, however good and well-intentioned. Much like what he did in the banking sector as a reformer, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, as the strong leader that he is, has seen many radical and fundamental changes since assuming office as governor; the latest is putting an end to the Sit-At-Home saga.

For five long years, Onitsha Main Market, the acclaimed largest market in West Africa, was shut every Monday. The Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPoB) ordered the Monday Sit-At-Home in the Southeast to demand the release of their incarcerated leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and it was widely celebrated. The great pity was that the Sit-At-Home shutdown, instead of helping toward the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, only ended up haemorrhaging the Southeastern economy and setting to the outside world that Anambra in particular and southeast in general were under siege.

Governor Soludo, as a hands-on helmsman, took the lead in going to see Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in the DSS custody, where the IPoB leader stressed that he was not in support of the Sit-At-Home order and the attendant violence hurting the Southeast instead of his captors. It became evident that the proponents of Sit-At-Home had hidden agenda, particularly due to their refusal to engage in dialogue or respond to various pleas.

It then became incumbent on Governor Soludo to put an immediate halt to the Sit-At-Home. When a malfeasance persists for an extended period, people tend to perceive and observe it as a tradition. Soludo would not tolerate this. He targeted the epicentre of the malaise, the closed Onitsha Main Market, on a Monday.

Let’s go through the steps taken by Governor Soludo to end the protracted Sit-At-Home monster in Anambra State.

Through his mastery of consensus leadership, Governor Soludo convened a retreat of the Anambra State Executive Council (ANSEC), where the decision was reached to put an effective end to Sit-At-Home in all its ramifications and manifestations. Governor Soludo mandated civil servants to report to work every Monday, implementing a pro-rata salary system.

Any worker who fails to work every Monday have only himself to blame because no salary will be paid for any missed Monday workday. The governor imposed a pro rata salary payment system: no work on Monday means no pay for that Monday.

Then the pro-rata salary executive order was extended to teachers in the state. Parents were told to send their kids to school on Monday or they wouldn't be accepted on Tuesday.

Crucially, a dialogue was initiated with market leaders to allow markets to open on Mondays, but this effort was unsuccessful. Governor Soludo then paid a consequential visit to Onitsha Main Market on Monday, January 26, and closed it for one week in the first instance.

Two crucial meetings took place during the market's closure. On Thursday, January 29, Governor Soludo held a meeting with all the market leaders, numbering well over 3000, and an agreement was reached to open the markets every Monday, starting Monday, February 2.

The governor also tasked the traders of Onitsha Main Market with choosing between two options: demolishing the Main Market and rebuilding it in two years as an ultra-modern international market comparable to the best in the world, or renovating the market by removing illegal structures, making improvements to the existing structure, and attempting to reasonably restore the original master plan of Onitsha Main Market to preserve its essence. The traders, through their leadership, chose the 2nd option – renovation of the Main Market.

Onitsha Main Market reopened for business on Monday, February 2, following the selection of the second option.

Governor Soludo was present at Onitsha Main Market that Monday, where he shopped while the applause of the traders echoed across the various lines and plazas.

Among the many articles Governor Soludo bought were a power bank to power his phone for more action, a phone, boxers and many more! He distributed some of the items he purchased and kept others for himself.

Soludo's decisive reopening of Onitsha Main Market exemplifies the immense power of a single individual. The world should commend Mr Governor for his refusal to submit to non-state actors.

The non-state actors have had their run of Sit-At-Home dictatorship for 230 Mondays, a dangerous order initiated on August 9, 2021. Soludo’s command has put an end to the nonsense.

Soludo, a straightforward leader, prioritises leading by personal example. As Chinua Achebe wrote in The Trouble with Nigeria, “The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, to the challenge of personal example, which are the hallmarks of true leadership.”

Soludo’s ending of the Sit-At-Home charade is in character, just like his banking consolidation when he served as the Central Bank Governor, during which Nigeria’s 89 beggarly banks were reduced to 25 global banking institutions.

It needs to be recalled that when Soludo was inaugurated as governor on March 17, 2022, the criminals who ordered Sit-At-Home had almost complete control over eight local governments in Anambra State, namely Aguata, Ihiala, Ekwusigo, Nnewi North, Nnewi South, Ogbaru, Orumba North, and Orumba South, where they built idolatrous camps. Soludo swiftly dismissed all of them, along with their fake native doctors and Ndị Ezenwanyi.

Governor Soludo's capacity to break the jinx and rest the spectre of Sit-At-Home and have Onitsha Main Market and indeed all markets in Anambra open every Monday is a true victory. That is simply another defining move of the reformer and exceptional leader.

* Law Mefor, PhD, is the Anambra State Commissioner for Information.

How do you know it has ended, it is just one week since the market lockdown.

It means he never wanted to end it abnitio. You think the residents like the Monday lockdown too, if you show willingness to provide security to protect them, they won't sit at home. Sit at home is a response to fear of gunmen , instead of him to curtail the excesses of the gunmen, he went after traders

We can't but wish the entire state the best.

Sitting at home for 230 weeks plus did not yield any fruitful results and did nothing to stop the incarceration and imprisonment of Nnamdi.

Another approach called dialogue should be considered.

"Sit at home" is like going on hunger strike in a prison where the wardens would prefer not to serve you food in the first place ....na you go lean like rake and get ulcer last last . Them no send you message

And them go use you laugh join.

I laugh at this lie. That a few traders turned up at Onitsha Market, probably Soludo's supporters, does not mean that sit ended. I dont know if Soludo thinks Anambra starts and stops with Onitsha market? There was actually total shut down on the day, even Soludo knows. Anambra are not the type of people a Governor or anyone can intimidate. If they want to sit at home, you can't force them to come out


https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/photos-empty-streets-as-anambra-residents-observe-sit-at-home/%3famp

You guys are just behaving like IPOB who use propaganda to spread misinformation.

How many banks opened in Onitsha on Monday?
How many schools opened in Onitsha on Monday?
How many transporters operated on Monday?

Anyone who comes online to tell you that the traders are enjoying the SAH exercise is only deceiving themselves. Those folks sit at home because they don't trust the government enough to protect them.

jmoore:
You guys are just behaving like IPOB who use propaganda to spread misinformation.

How many banks opened in Onitsha on Monday?
How many schools opened in Onitsha on Monday?
How many transporters operated on Monday?

Wow, so you mean that umu chukwu okike abiama did not open any of their businesses last Monday?, Well you guys are doing great. Tuesdays should be made mandatory too.

Nigerian government Sabi lie shaaa.


Wait till Monday na and see before dropping this fake thing here.

Let us not rejoice yet. One thing i know is that it shall be well with Anambra state.

Super Story

It ended on the pages of Newspapers.

gidgiddy:
I laugh at this lie. That a few traders turned up at Onitsha Market, probably Soludo's supporters, does not mean that sit ended. There was actually shut down on the day, even Soludo knows

Na mumu person jor. I no know how much dem pay am to do the rubbish

They claimed the South East is peaceful and insisted that reports of insecurity are just exaggerations by outsiders, even blaming the so-called Lagos–Ibadan media. If the region is truly peaceful as they say, then they should fully support Governor Soludo in ending the Monday sit-at-home. Yet the same people still say they can’t open their businesses on Mondays because of unknown gunmen. This contradiction exposes clear hypocrisy.

Pierocash:
How do you know it has ended, it is just one week since the market lockdown.

It means he never wanted to end it abnietio. You think the residents like the Monday lockdown too, if you show willingness to provide security to protect them, they won't sit at home. Sit at home is a response to fear of gunmen , instead of him to curtail the excesses of the gunmen, he went after traders

How come OnitshaMM is the only place that fears UGM?

Hahaha

I can only laugh with this rubbish PR

It's not a coincidence... There's been a pattern.

QuinQQ:
How come OnitshaMM is the only place that fears UGM?

Na next week be Monday na.

Let's see and hope it goes well.

Life has returned to Enugu, Imo and Abia.

Anambra should not fear.
—We are in this with you.

Who told you that the lockdown has ended?,
Don't jubilate over nothing

Next week Monday will tell if it has ended .

It's was resetting the brains with one slap

If president and all 36 state governors really want fight insecurity, within 6 months, the level of insecurity in Nigeria will reduce by 70%

To achieve this, the sponsors of insecurity should be arrested and dealt with.

Politicians largely fuelling insecurity to distablise govt.

Data boys and keyboard warriors

Professor solution, God bless you always, I know Obi is pained that this senseless sit at home ended.
Funny how the man PO refused to make any statement against ipobss and their atrocities in the SE

gidgiddy:
I laugh at this lie. That a few traders turned up at Onitsha Market, probably Soludo's supporters, does not mean that sit ended. There was actually shut down on the day, even Soludo knows

Cry fowl
Governor will shut it down for more two weeks again. Next week shall tell

Na craze den dey use cure madness.

gidgiddy:
I laugh at this lie. That a few traders turned up at Onitsha Market, probably Soludo's supporters, does not mean that sit ended. There was actually shut down on the day, even Soludo knows

What do you gain from the senseless and stupid sit at home, how does that make sense if you are not enemy of Ndi Igbo? Soludo has ended it, if you don't like it you can go to the deepest part of helll

The end of sit-at-home in Anambra reflects the effect of firm leadership and strategic engagement with the people. By combining dialogue, security efforts, and inclusive governance, the state government helped restore normal life and economic activities. It shows that when leaders listen and act decisively, peace and stability can be achieved, even in difficult situations.

Don't celebrate too early . but Soludo tried as a governor .

Jonjam269:
They claimed the South East is peaceful and insisted that reports of insecurity are just exaggerations by outsiders, even blaming the so-called Lagos–Ibadan media. If the region is truly peaceful as they say, then they should fully support Governor Soludo in ending the Monday sit-at-home. Yet the same people still say they can’t open their businesses on Mondays because of unknown gunmen. This contradiction exposes clear hypocrisy.

Sit at home is a peaceful thing, 170 people were just slaughtered in Kwara yesterday. But you people are more worried about people drinking beer and chopping Isi-Ewu in their homes?

I laugh in Chinese

The sit at home was already getting weak, solo just put salt join am

gidgiddy:
I laugh at this lie. That a few traders turned up at Onitsha Market, probably Soludo's supporters, does not mean that sit ended. I dont know if Soludo thinks Anambra starts and stops with Onitsha market? There was actually total shut down on the day, even Soludo knows. Anambra are not the type of people a Governor or anyone can intimidate. If they want to sit at home, you can't force them to come out


https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/photos-empty-streets-as-anambra-residents-observe-sit-at-home/%3famp

He’d focus on the major areas generating revenues .
Those doing sit-at-home in village markets may be doing so, because it is very easy to attack them. So, they are scared.

Let any of those unknown gunmen try to do something in a busy market like that of Onitsha, and you’d see how they will be lynched and burnt, unless police intervenes

Nigerians are angry now, and any opportunity to show that on criminals, it will be terrible on the victims

osuofia2:
What do you gain from the senseless and stupid sit at home, how does that make senseless if you are not enemy of Ndi Igbo? Soludo has ended it, if you don't like it you can go to the deepest part of helll

You people make me laugh. 170 were slaughterd yesterday in Kwara, 20 were slaughterd the day before in Kwande, Benue State

But you people's problem are those chopping Nkwobi in their homes?

Up Soludo for finally giving them the courage to come out of hiding places.