The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has warned that policy decisions and prolonged industrial actions must not deepen hardship for ordinary Nigerians, urging Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to immediately reopen the Onitsha Main Market while also appealing for an amicable resolution of the ongoing strike by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) workers.
HURIWA expressed concern that the one-week closure of the Onitsha Main Market could deprive hundreds of thousands of traders of their livelihoods and disrupt access to essential goods for millions of residents across Anambra and neighbouring states. The group cautioned that such a measure risks worsening poverty and economic distress in a region already grappling with insecurity and fragile commerce.
The rights group recalled that Governor Soludo ordered the market’s closure following traders’ failure to comply with the state government’s directive to resume business on Mondays, in defiance of the sit-at-home order. While acknowledging the government’s objective of restoring normal economic activities, HURIWA argued that coercive measures were counterproductive.
According to the group, sustained dialogue with market leadership—backed by credible guarantees of security for traders—would be a more effective and humane approach. HURIWA noted that fear, not defiance, largely drives traders’ reluctance to open on Mondays, citing past attacks on individuals who attempted to conduct business on those days.
“Hunger, unemployment and deprivation are not tools of persuasion,” said HURIWA National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, warning that shutting down the market contradicts the governor’s economic recovery agenda for the South-East.
Beyond Anambra, HURIWA also turned attention to the Federal Capital Territory, where workers have embarked on an indefinite strike over unresolved salary and welfare issues. The group appealed to both the striking workers and the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, to de-escalate tensions through constructive negotiations.
While affirming workers’ constitutional right to peaceful industrial action, HURIWA stressed that prolonged closure of public schools has displaced hundreds of thousands of children from low-income households, effectively denying them access to education. The group warned that continued shutdown of essential public services could have far-reaching social consequences.
HURIWA urged the FCT Minister to urgently address outstanding allowances and welfare concerns, noting that inflation and currency devaluation have severely eroded workers’ purchasing power. It argued that resolving the dispute peacefully would better serve the public interest than confrontation.
The group also reminded authorities that many Abuja residents cannot afford private or overseas education for their children, making the restoration of public schooling critical.
HURIWA called for swift, inclusive and good-faith negotiations in both Anambra State and the FCT, insisting that governance anchored on dialogue, security assurances and social justice remains the surest path to stability and development.