Politics
By Anthony Isibor
DESPITE the assurances by both the police authorities and the state governors that the people should come out on Monday, October 18 to carry out their legitimate official and private businesses, most offices and markets remained locked and major streets deserted.
For instance, Emmeka Nnajiofor, a businessman in Nnewi, Amambra State, who spoke to Realnews on Monday said that the sit-at-home looks a bit more serious due to the forthcoming November 6th governorship election in the state.
“We are still at home as usual. But today rather seems a bit more serious maybe because Anambra is preparing for election. And staying at home on Monday, we have gotten used to it,” he said.
The Nation reports that in Imo state, the residents continued their self-imposed sit-at-home exercise as gates to the streets in the capital city were locked for human and vehicular movements. Banks, markets also were closed down.
“Streets in the metropolis were also converted into football pitches as youths used expired tires to form goalposts as well as blocked the roads, making it difficult for few motorists plying the roads to maneuver.
“Major roads such as Wetheral, Bank road, Douglas road, Tetlow, Okigwe road were deserted as shops and other offices were completely shut for businesses.
“Some of the villagers, who spoke on the development, appealed to the federal government to produce the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, in court on October 21, when the case is expected to be heard. Vincent Nnadi noted that in doing so would douse the tension.
“The tension is becoming unbearable, but we want the government to calm the situation by producing Nnamdi Kanu In court. We heard that the government has refused to bring him to court. If he has committed an offence, try him to the watching views of the public and if the man has done nothing release him.
“Any peace got through war will not last so I will advise the federal government to dialogue with the young man and other leaders in the South East for a lasting solution,” the report added.
Although there is tension in the zone as the people continues to await the trail of Nnamdi Kanu, which is slated for Thursday October 21, the leadership of the proscribed IPOB group has disowned the purported statement that it has directed a sit-at-home on Monday and Tuesday.
It, however, urged the people to be calm, adding that a sit-at-home would only be observed on October 21, in solidarity with its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is expected to be in court on that day.
In a statement by its media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, entitled, “Ignore fake news on sit-at-home on Monday and Tuesday,” described the claim as a fabricated statement by mischief-makers”.
“We want to make it categorically clear that the purported statement did not emanate from IPoB, and we completely dissociate ourselves from such falsehood.
“IPoB did not issue any sit-at-home except on October 21, when our leader is expected to appear in court.
“We, therefore, urge members of the public to ignore the purported statement and utter falsehood being peddled to create confusion and demarket IPoB.
“Their intention is to portray IPoB as a violent and insensitive movement, but we know their antics, and shall beat them to it’’.
“For the sake of clarity, IPoB has not called for any sit-at-home except on Thursday, October 21, when our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, will appear in court in Abuja.
“Biafrans will solidarize with him by staying indoors on that day because we are all in the struggle together. He did nothing to deserve any persecution by the federal government.
“We warn all those behind this rumour to retrace their steps and stop tarnishing the good image of IPoB.
“As a responsible and responsive movement, we stopped Monday sit-at-home in the interest of our people, when we discovered that hooligans and paid agents of death wanted to hijack the opportunity to unleash mayhem on our people.
“Anybody sitting at home on Mondays does so out of one’s volition and not on the orders of IPOB.
“We also urge the public to ignore the fake news that our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been taken away by a foreign government,” the statement said.
The sit-at-home order, which was previously imposed by IPOB in solidarity with its leader Kanu, who was rearrested by the authorities to face treasonable offenses in court has since been lifted by IPOB, but the residents in the South East have continued to observe it out of fear for their lives and damage to their properties.
– Oct. 18, 2021 @ 17:37 GMT |
A.I
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