The PUNCH can authoritatively report that Monday’s sit-at-home protest against the continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, which had since started to fizzle out, has now been reinforced following the state government ban on sit-at-home.
The PUNCH had reported that Governor Mbah had banned Monday sit-at-home in the state, last week. Consequently, on Saturday, he issued threats to close schools, markets and transport units, and businesses that failed to open for business and academic activities on Monday, June 5, 2023, and thereafter.
Despite the threats, our correspondent, who monitored the compliance, reports that the people have instead reinforced the sit-at-home as they deserted streets and major roads.
Although, there was a presence of security agents in various strategic places. Also, surveillance aircraft were hovering around the state capital and some major flashpoints in the past, yet the people still deserted the roads.
On a visit to Holy Ghost, Old Park, Garrik, Emene, Eke-Obinagu, Abakpa and Zik Avenue, it was observed that roads were totally deserted as of 7:30 a.m. on Monday morning.
Schools both within the city centre and on the outskirts of the state capital were shut while filling stations were also shut. In the Holy Ghost area, all transport companies were totally closed. At Old Orie Emene, Abakpa and Garrik commuters deserted roads.
However, expectedly, there were few buses and tricycle operators plying the road, especially on New Haven and Ogui roads but no passengers to carry. Some private vehicles were also seen plying the road, especially those going to hospitals or hospital workers.
Some people who spoke to our correspondent blamed the governor for pulling the people back to the situation they had started to forget.
Mr. Chinedu Okechi said, “You see the governor’s open ban and subsequent threats to close markets, parks, and schools that have reinforced Monday sit-at-home. People are now viewing it as there is a rift going on or that he was planted in the state by outside forces to do their bidding.
“He has just exhibited his ignorance about the sit-at-home. Today Peter Mbah remembered MNK (Mazi Nnamdi Kanu) only because there’s sit-at-home!”
However, at 11 a.m., some people started coming out after news went out that Governor Mbah was moving around monitoring compliance with his directives.
In a statement issued after the monitoring, the governor’s media team quoted Mbah as having commended civil servants, transporters, the business community, and other institutions in the state for the significant compliance with the government’s directive ending the Monday sit-at-home order.
According to the statement, the governor put the compliance level at about 70 per cent, while expressing hope of total compliance on subsequent Mondays.
Governor Mbah, during the monitoring of the government ministries, departments and agencies, and markets, reiterated his government’s resolve to secure lives and property.
“Ministries and offices visited included the Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Capital Territory, Ministry of Inter-Ministerial Affairs and Special Duties, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Lands, Ministry of Finance, Office of the Accountant-General, Office of the Head of Service, Office of the Surveyor-General, among others, where he was received by the civil servants and heads of MDAs.
“Mbah also visited several markets, including the Akwata section of Ogbete Market, Mayor Market situated along Agbani Road, among others, where he was warmly received by happy traders and their leaders.”
The governor was also quoted as saying: “The primary objective of my visitations is largely to observe the level of compliance of the directive that we gave last week, declaring that we do not have sit-at-home in Enugu henceforth. The directive was meant to ensure that our people come out on the first working and productive day of the week.
“We do have a compliance level of about 60 to 70 per cent, and the order took effect from today. I am aware the circular to this effect was sent out on Friday. It may well be that not all the workers got the information that we no longer have sit-at-home on Mondays.
“Whether we succeed or fail in ending sit-at-home, we do that together as Enugu people. If we succeed, our collective success means we can rise together against intimidation. It is not anybody’s or the government’s success. We need to take collective responsibility for our decision.
“But the truth is that everything we have promised our people in Enugu is anchored on getting the flow of private sector investments into our state; and the private sector cannot come into a state where the people are not productive. The private sector thrives on big markets and a vibrant workforce.
“So, our people are known by their hard work, by their industry and commerce. So, we cannot have people who kill these spirits in our people and dictate to us the day we should go to work and the day we should sit at home.
“We have to revive that spirit of hard work and culture of commerce and industry that our people are known for. We want to reinstate that, and that is exactly what we are doing,” the according to the statement.
Meanwhile, a pro-Biafra group, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, has backed the state government’s efforts to end the sit-at-home in Enugu State and other parts of the South-East.
MASSOB, in a statement issued on Monday, which was signed by its National Director of Information, Comrade Edeson Samuel, faulted the opposition of the leader of a faction of the pro-Biafra agitators, Simon Ekpa, saying that such a stand was not in the interest of peace and development in Enugu State and Igbo land as a whole.
It stated that the directive by the Enugu State Government to government offices, businesses, transporters, and schools, among others, to resume full operations was in order, as genuine pro-Biafra agitators had since jettisoned the idea of Monday sit-at-home long before now.
The pro-Biafra group said the organisation and the leader of IPOB, through their lawyer, had since called on Ndigbo to go about their normal businesses because they didn’t want to inflict more pain on our people.
“Even if the sit-at-home should last for one month or more, it is only our people and businesses that will suffer and not the Federal Government.
“We, the members of MASSOB, advised those agents working against the interest of our people and destabilisation of Igbo land to desist and give peace a chance.
“Our stand as the mother of all pro-Biafra groups remains that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu must be released for peace to be restored in Nigeria and Igbo land.”
