New Telegraph

IPOB: Enugu witnesses fourth ghost city

 

…as sit-at-home grounds business, social activities

For four consecutive Mondays, residents of Enugu stayed indoors to observe the weekly sit-at-home order which had been suspended by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Banks, markets, shopping malls, eateries and shops were under lock and key.

 

The IPOB members had after the first week of sit-athome reviewed the order declaring that it will no longer hold every Monday but on days their detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu will be making court appearances.

 

Some residents of the state on Monday gave reasons why they were still observing every Monday as sit-at-home despite its suspension by the IPOB.

 

Some residents, who spoke to journalists, said they were constrained to observe the sit-at-home every Monday, not only because of the arrest and detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, but generally to protest the current economic hardship and insecurity in the country.

They accused the leaders in the South East of selfishness and working to enslave their people for their own  political gains. Chijioke Agu, a truck driver said that those who were saying that sit-at-home will destroy the economy of the South East and increase the hardship are ignorant and not sincere, querying “are we not suffering before sit-at-home.”

 

He added: “Since 1970 the Civil War ended, have we not been suffering. Even when we complained about the treatment from the federal government, our governors here in the South East compounded our suffering by demolishing small businesses in the name of urban renewal.

 

“In Enugu here, the governor has been busy demolishing small businesses and markets without providing an alternative. Where they claimed to have provided one, poor citizens cannot afford the rent of a store.

 

In Emene, Eke-Obinagu and Abakpa Markets, the government demolished it without any alternative and you are saying people should not sit-at-home. Why can’t we stay at home?”

 

For Sebastian Okonkwo, the sit-at-home was a way of showing his grievances to the way the country was being governed.

 

I am doing my own business and the government cannot determine when I will open for business or not. Our government is insensitive and lacks empathy. Look at the common things that people should benefit from like cooking gas, a kilo is now N550.

 

They have made life miserable for Nigerians. I see Nnamdi Kanu as a man that saw tomorrow, because that young man had predicted that what is going on now in Nigeria will happen and that is why we are protesting for his release.”

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