By Izunna Okafor, Awka
A visibly agitated young man may face arrest soon following what has been described as his unwarranted outburst, vulgarity and media bullying against the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, over the recent temporary closure of the Onitsha Main Market as part of the state government’s renewed clampdown on the enforcement of Monday sit-at-home compliance in the state.
The man, whose identity remains unknown (as he neither introduced himself nor disclosed any affiliation), made the remarks in a widely circulated selfie video currently trending on social media.
In the footage, the young man was seen raining curses and hurling a barrage of unprintable and abusive words at Governor Soludo, accusing him of intimidation and overreach, following the governor’s warning that the market could be sealed for a year or even demolished on his directive if the traders continued to observe the illegal sit-at-home order.
Though criticized by some people, the Governor’s action and caution were described as a form of sanction against traders who reportedly fail to open their shops on Mondays, in defiance of government directives and security advisories aimed at restoring normal economic activities across the state.
However, reacting in his emotionally charged outburst, the man dared the governor to carry out the demolition threat, insisting that Soludo neither owns the market nor has the authority to destroy it at will. He argued that the market has existed from time immemorial and predates the current administration, stressing that Soludo is not the first governor to preside over Anambra State, and as such “cannot try that”
The speaker further condemned what he described as the government’s attempt to compel traders to open their shops even when they don’t feel like.
Expectedly, these daring comments, laced with curses and vulgar expressions directed personally at the governor, have sparked reactions among netizens, across various social media platforms, with many recommending and speculating immediate arrest of the man to serve as deterrent to others.
Efforts by this reporter, Izunna Okafor, to get the reactions of the Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Christian Aburime, on the video, proved abortive, as he was yet to respond to the message sent to him as at the time of this publication.
Watch the video below:
