By Okey Maduforo Awka .
Traders in Onitsha Commercial City are to pay the fine of N600 million for closing their shops last Monday on compliance of the already moribund sit at home order by the sepretists elements in the area .
This fine is in line with the law enacted by the Anambra state House of Assembly which stipulated that shop owners or traders who refused to open their shops on Monday would have their shops and to pay a fine of N20 million before it can be reopened.
Recall that last Monday 30 shops were sealed by the Onitsha South Local Government Council for refusing to open their shops on the said day .
According to the Chairman of Onitsha South local government area Mr Paul Onuachalla;
“It is in compliance to the enforcement against the sit at home order and based on the law enacted by the Anambra state House of Assembly”
“The shops are situated in Onitsha South local government area some shops were sealed at Bridge Head market, Ochanja market and Progress Market respectively”
“It will remain closed as long as they have not paid the appropriate fines and the fine is N 20 million per shop and we are looking about 30 shops “
Onuachalla explained that the Council spent three weeks carrying out sensitization programs at the markets as a remand notice for traders to comply.
“In the past three weeks we have been making sensitization to the traders and the line Chairmen on this new law and we gave them remand notice”
“Other local government Councils have started enforcement of that law but we gave our own three weeks before enforcement in order to give them space to adjust to the new laws because the sit at home had lasted for years now “
Onuachalla however explained that the Council created a room for traders to make representations or explanations such as those that have legitimate reasons not to be in their shops such as health reasons on that very day .
“But for those who chose to close their shops based on the moribund sit at home order , they have to face the law ” he insisted.
