By Chuks Eke
With the magnitude of courage summoned by residents of commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State to defile the recent five consecutive days of sit-at-home ordered by Simon Ekpa group of Biafra agitators, Onitsha residents are gradually saying good-by to Mondays sit-at-home exercise.
However, some residents are still complying with order for dear of uncertainties, which was why major markets and banks did not open for businesses yesterday but street markets opened for business as against previous Mondays.
All along people have been complying with previous calls for sit-at-home as a mark of their respect for the Biafra agitation but when the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB came up with a press statement asking people not to obey the recent five-day exercise and dissociated IPoB from the order, it became an eye opener for Onitsha residents and they treated it like a child”s play.
According to an Onitsha based trader, Mr. Okeke Aganafu, days were gone when people were used ignorantly by those who they thought were fighting for their welfare
“Everybody has shined his eyes, are we fools that somebody who is based in Finland will be issuing order to us. If I have my way I will ensure he is brought to Igbo land to give account of the number of people he may have deceived as a freedom fighter.
“I am happy that most people have known what he thinks he is the only one that knows. He is comfortable in Finland, possibly being sponsored by enemies of progress in Igbo land to cause crises but God will not allow him,” he prayed.
Also reacting, “a barrow pusher at the notorious Upper Iweka axis, Onitsha, who simply identified himself as Mathew, from Abakaliki, hinted that he has not visited his Abakaliki country home for about a year now because of killings that that are being perpetrated by Simon Ekpa followers.
“We are in trouble in Abakaliki and that is why I have not gone home for about a year now and I don’t have hope of going this Christmas period because Simon Ekpa has been using the youths there against the State Government and the Nnamdi Kanu-led group
“In Anambra such thing can’t happen because there is water tight security and residents easily give information on any ugly incident. You can see that both the five-day and Monday sit-at-home order are not working in Anambra State.
“The people are matured and are all security security conscious. I was in Upper Iweka one day when four boys who claimed to be IPOB members were shooting indiscriminately and before you know it, plain clothe security operatives rounded them up and whisked them away with in a waiting van,
“People are going about their normal businesses in Onitsha today and even from 9th of December, defying the non existent sit-at-home order issued by Simon Ekpa. His men are zero per cent in Anambra but in Enugu they are up to 10 per cent and in Ebonyi State they are 15 per cent,” he revealed
Recall that in a press state by the State Commissioner for Information, Hon.Paul Nwosu, people were urged to disregard the order and go about their normal businesses and daily activities peacefully.
“The Christmas season is a period of joy and happiness and government will go all out to ensure that the mood is not dampened in any way. All the various arms of our security agencies are on full alert to ensure safety of lives and properties as well as apprehend those who may breach the peace and tranquility of the State this season.
Anambra State Government also finds it disturbing that a renegade and expelled member of IPOB will, from the comfort of his Finland home, continue to issue cold-blooded and murderous orders that are aimed at destabilizing Igboland. This is condemnable and an atrocious crime against the enterprising and peace-loving people of Igboland.
” It’s about time the Federal Government took necessary steps to contain these foreign agents who are bent on fomenting needless crisis in the south eastern states.
It is pertinent to note that in a swift reaction by the authentic IPOB leadership led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the media and publicity secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, stated that “the global family of IPOB, under the command and leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu did not issue any sit-at-home order on the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th December”, Nwosu stated.
