Politics
By Anthony Isibor.
THE sit at home order every Monday in the South East appears to be gaining more momentum and wide acceptance. The holiday, which was declared by the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, which was at first forced on the people of the southeast zone has since taken a new twist.
The order was given in defiance to the federal government’s re-arrest of the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in the DSS custody since he was picked up in Kenya in July this year. According to the IPOB, the order will remain in force until Nnamdi Kanu is released.
“We the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB wish to announce to all Biafran citizens, friends of Biafra, and lovers of Biafra freedom and independence that IPOB leadership has declared every Monday ‘a ghost Monday’.
“This declaration takes effect from Monday, August 9, 2021. From that day, Biafra land will be on lockdown every Monday from 6:00am to 6:00pm until our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who was unlawfully abducted in Kenya and illegally detained by the federal government of Nigeria is released.
“We wish to state details of this coming ghost Mondays every week, our people must understand that it was designed to show the world how serious we are towards this fight for Biafra freedom and independence everybody must adhere to this clarion call put in place by the leadership of IPOB and it would be good for everyone to know that that IPOB will not relent until Biafra is fully achieved, the DSS can go ahead and keep our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu incommunicado without access to him and we observed that DSS operatives are torturing our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to the point of death that was why they don’t want anybody to see his state of health in the DSS facility.
“DSS should know that if anything untoward happens to him, we are going to confirm what IPOB is made and they will understand that we are prepared for this freedom. Our Leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not a criminal and has the right to be visited in their custody.
“This is a call for Biafran leaders, politicians, especially those mentioned as those behind his abduction and extradition to Nigeria, if anything happens to our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu all of them should prepare never to come back to Biafraland because it will not accommodate us together.
“Nobody should take our quietness as cowardice. Our intelligence reveals that Nnamdi Kanu is under serious torture and humiliation because he refused all offer given to him.
“We declare every Monday sit-at-home throughout Biafra land until our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, regains his freedom. The federal government must allow him access to his personal physicians, and allow him to sign documents given to him by the British Government to provide him consular assistance. This peaceful protest will continue ones every week until our demands are met,” the statement said in part.
This declaration was, however, kicked against by several Igbo stakeholders, pointing out that it will only have adverse effects on the Igbo people.
For instance, prominent Abia monarch, the traditional ruler of Abiriba Ancient Kingdom, Eze Kalu Kalu Ogbu, Enachioken Abiriba advised that the action would compound the economic woes of Ndigbo.
Enachioken, while condemning the way in which the federal government had handled the agitations for self-determination in the country, said that locking down the entire South East every Monday would not be in the economic interest of the region already suffering protracted exclusion.
“I don’t believe that the sit-at-home order is the right thing for now. The Igbo nation has been under siege for some time now. Our people have suffered untold hardship and many live and survive on daily income.
“To force our people inside to drive home the point of IPOB will amount to double punishment on the people. The people have suffered enough already. It is a prescription for chaos in Igbo land. They should rethink this position,” he added.
Although the leadership of IPOB had earlier on suspended the order and urged the people to return to their normal Monday life, the Monday weekly sit-at-home directed by the Indigenous People of Biafra in solidarity with its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, continues in the whole of the zone.
The last two weeks witnessed voluntary compliance from the people.
As of Monday, the fourth since the sit-at-home began, media reports confirm that there was a total shut down of economic activities in these states as the people continue to sit at home in solidarity of their leader.
The reports from various states showed that the people were obeying the order without much coercion as attempts by various governments from the zone to order the people back to work on Monday failed.
All the markets in Onitsha and Nnewi were under lock and key, including the Onitsha Main Market and Nkwo Nnewi, while banks located in the areas did not open for business.
In Abakaliki, despite Gov. David Umahi’s directive to all civil and public servants to report to work or risk losing their jobs, the sit-at-home order in the state was still observed.
Umahi had in a statement issued on Sunday by Dr Kenneth Igwe, Secretary to the State Government and Coordinating Commissioner warned that “whosoever failed to report to his duty post stands to lose his job”.
“Similarly, any shop or bank that failed to open for business on Monday stands the risk of losing the right to operate business or banking operations in the state.
“The general public is by this announcement advised to go about their normal businesses without fear.
“Security agencies have been directed to patrol 24 hours in all corners of the state. All concerned are to take note and adhere strictly to this government directive,” Umahi stated.
A group, Balance and Equity Group, BEG, appealed to IPOB leadership to ensure proper dissemination of the suspension of the weekly sit-at-home order.
It regretted that it was beyond the powers of southeast Governors to reverse or effectively encourage people to go back to business.
The group’s founder and Coordinator, Chris Arinze, who spoke on Monday while addressing newsmen on the legality of the agitation of IPOB and implication of every Monday Sit-at-home in the South East
He urged IPOB to use its usual medium of addressing Nigeria and the world to encourage people of the South East to go back to their businesses, saying that unless they order people back, they would continue to observe the order at the detriment of the economy of the South East.
“It’s very clear that southeast Governors don’t have the capacity to give a contrary order against that of IPOB for the traders and businessmen in Igbo land to go back to their business on Mondays.
“Every genuine Igbo accepts that Igbos are not well treated, there are injustices against Ndigbo and Mazi Kanu cannot be faulted on that, but IPOB needs to do something about this Monday weekly Sit-at-home otherwise people will continue to observe it from now to December or when Mazi Kanu is released and it is not good for our economy.
“It is, therefore, left for IPOB to order them back to their businesses through the mass media, as a show of love, respect, and loyalty, which they have also shown the pro-Biafra,” he said.
– Aug. 31, 2021 @ 19:07 GMT |
A.I
Tags: Dr Kenneth Igwe Enachioken Abiriba Eze Kalu Kalu Ogbu Indigenous People of Biafra Nnamdi Kanu
