By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Despite states and federal governments’ assurances to the people to go about their normal daily activities especially on Mondays in the five states of the South East geopolitical region, business activities have continued to be in their lowest ebbs, no thanks to the unending “Sit-at-home” called by the proscribed Indigenous Peoples Of Biafra (IPOB) since 2017.
Prompt News can confirm that except in the capital cities of Umuahia in Abia; Awka in Anambra; Abakiliki on Ebonyi, Enugu City in Enugu and Owerri in Imo states where the sit-at-home order is not being made manifest, the people in the towns and villages are not so lucky as activities are grounded to a halt on Mondays.
For example, Chief Igwe Amajuoyi, a building materials shop owner at Orie-agu in Ehime Mbano local government area of Imo state did not open his shop today (Monday) as has been the case in the past weeks for the fear of the unknown.
According to him it is a risky affair to open for business on Mondays because of incessant attacks by the Unknown Gun Men (UGM) who he said strike without notice since the sit-at-home started, pointing out that they are opposed to seeing any shop in the South East geopolitical region opened on Mondays.
“My brother, we are used to closing our shops on Mondays because of the bad boys. For many years now, we have been observing every Monday as public holiday. In fact economic activities including business, social, religious and political activities are grounded on Mondays despite the assurances by states and federal governments”, Amajuoyi said.
Also, a federal government worker who lives in Owerri, Imo state capital who does not want his name in the media confirmed that both Federal and Imo State Government Secretariats located along Port Harcourt-Elele road operated at half capacity on Mondays because staff who leave outskirts of the city do not make it to office on Mondays because of none availability of commercial transport to convey them to work.
The situation is the same in Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Abia states where inter-state transportation are almost grounded today as most commercial drivers stayed off the road especially those driving states-owned transport vehicles like Abia Transport Corporation
(Abia Lines), Imo Transport Company (ITC), Ebonyi Transport Ltd (Ebotrans) Enugu State Transport Company (ENTRACO) and Transport Company Of Anambra State (TRACAS).
They claim that they are the targets of the agitators who see them as “working against the interests of their people” and will attack them and sometimes burn their vehicles in the process of enforcing the sit-at-home order.
Meanwhile, fear and confusion have enveloped the South-East zone as two separatist groups, IPOB, headed by their detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu (MNK) and Simon Ekpa’s Biafra Republic In Exile (BRGIE) issued conflicting directives on the sit-at-home to celebrate this year’s ‘Biafra Heroes Day’, plunging the region into a state of uncertainty.
This is even as the relevant federal government security agencies have issued stern warnings to the secessionists, daring them to carry out their threats.
Recall IPOB has been celebrating ‘Biafra Heroes Day’ on May 30 since 2017 to honor those who died during the Civil War. The day is usually marked by a stay-at-home order across the South-East.
According to multiple media reports this year is no exception as IPOB has asked everyone in Igboland to observe the day by staying at home and celebrating the men and women who died for them in the Civil War which started in 1967 and ended 1970.
Announcing the one day stay-at-home order, IPOB, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, the group said: “Annually, we celebrate 30th of May as our heroes and heroines’ day when we remember the men and women who died that we may live, before, during, and after the Nigeria genocidal war against Biafrans between 1967 and 1970 and beyond and even until now.
“Biafrans are asked to observe this one (1) day sit-at-home in reverence to the spirits of our departed heroes who fought for us to be alive today…To that effect, IPOB directs all schools, government offices, private offices, banks, transport unions, market unions and private individuals to shut down all operations in honor of our heroes and heroines on Thursday, May 30, 2024.”
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In a statement, the self-acclaimed Prime Minister of BRGIE, Simon Ekpa, stated that sit-at-home in the region would commence from May 29 to 31, 2024.
He said, “There will be sit-at-home in Biafraland on the following dates to enable Biafrans vote in the last phase of stage one self-referendum voting.
“29th May, 2024, sit at home and vote; 30th May, 2024 Biafra Day, sit at home and vote; 31st May, 2024, sit at home and vote.”
As the two groups give confliction orders, citizens are left bewildered, unsure of who to obey, and fearful of the repercussions of making the wrong choice, setting the stage for a potentially explosive showdown.
Not even the assurances by the relevant federal government security agencies that they are on top of the situation and that people should go about their lawful businesses could allay the fears of the masses.
Rather, warnings by the security authorities to the Biafran groups are putting the already frightened people on the edge.
