The Anambra State Government today February 23 ordered the closure of the New Auto Spare Parts Association, NASPA Nkwo Nnewi, for a period of one week.
The enforcement exercise was carried out on the orders of Governor Chukwuma Soludo and was spearheaded by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade and Markets, Chief Evarist Uba.
According to Ube, the decision to seal the market stems from several unresolved issues, especially non compliance to government directive that all markets across the state should open on Mondays and every week day, defiant to the unpopular sit-at-home directive.
During the enforcement, Chief Uba emphasized that the closure is not intended to punish traders but to act as a “cooling-off” period, saying that not opening is considered by the state government as an act of economic sabotage and will be treated as such.
The market is expected to remain under government and security watch until the expiration of the one-week mandate, during the time, stakeholders, traders and union leaders are expected to recaliberate, failure of which, the market will be shut down for two weeks.
