Sit-AT-Home: South East Traders, Workers, In Dilemma Who To Obey

Private and public sector workers in some southeast states are now in dilemma over who to obey in the ongoing sit-at-home orders rampantly issued in the region.

Whereas many of them are ill-disposed to obeying the orders, they are sometimes visited by vicious recriminations by those behind the orders.

Whereas many of them, want to go out and eke a living for their families, they are usually intimidated to stay indoors.

A source told The Eagle correspondent on Monday that he could not run a usual errand to the neighbouring community as he was afraid of being accosted by Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) operatives trying to enforce the Sit-at-home order.

Already, the entire southeast is paying a price from the declaration of Monday and Tuesday as sit-at-home by the factional Leader of IPoB, Simeon Ekpa.

Yesterday, Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah threatened to schools and businesses that obeyed  the  two-day sit-at-home declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB.

Speaking through the Secretary to the State Government, Chidiebere Onyia,  he teachers and private or public schools that had decided not to show up to school on Monday, would be sanctioned.

This was at a joint press conference addressed by the government and security chiefs after a tour of schools, businesses, financial institutions and markets in Enugu on Monday.

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Present were the Garrison Commander, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General Steven Dogo; Director of the Department of State Services in Enugu, Theresa Egbunu and the state police commissioner, Anayo Uzuegbu.

Onyia said teachers and private or public schools that obeyed the order of sit-at-home on Monday, would be sanctioned by the government.

“This also applies to markets, businesses, financial institutions and the rest of them. We insist on zero compliance to an illegal directive,” he said.

A youth in one of the communities told our correspondent by phone that the development is not a palatable one, urging government to go beyond encouraging people to disregard the directive by putting in place measures that would safeguard such people.