By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Market leaders in Anambra State on Wednesday warned traders against flouting the rules recently handed out by the state government to forestall an outbreak of Coronavirus in the state saying that defaulters would have their shops shut down.

In a statement made available to journalists in Awka, the President General, Anambra State Market Amalgamated Traders’ Association (ASMATA), Ikechukwu Ekwegbalu, said that all markets must as a matter of urgency provide hand washing centres with water, soap and sanitiser placed centrally for all to use.

The statement titled, “Directive from the State Government” and copied market chairmen and secretaries, reads: “All lines in the markets must immediately place water, soap and sanitiser at the entrance of their lines and must encourage every customer to use same before entering the line.

“Every shop in all the markets must provide buckets of water and soap with sanitisers and must encourage customers to use them.

“Your phone is something you use most often. Please, endeavour to cleanse it with mild sanitiser like baby wipe.

“Non-compliance to this directive will lead to the closure of the defaulting markets,”

Ekwegbalu recalled that the state government had contemplated total closure of the markets, but had to reconsider the decision following appeal by the market leadership.