Economic activities picked up in many parts of the South East yesterday as many abandoned the Monday sit-at-home.
In Owerri, Imo State capital, economic activities operated on a full scale on Monday.
Banks, eateries, filling stations, markets, and other business outfits opened for business.
Areas visited by our correspondent such as Control Post, Amakohia, Orji, Ikenegbu Layout, Wetheral, Douglas, MCC roads had booming economic activities and human movement.
Commercial vehicles were also operated in full scale.Residents of the city had since resumed economic activities on Monday after observing sit-at-home for six consecutive weeks last year.The situation, however, was not the same at Orlu, as residents sat back at home.Orlu axis has been the epicenter of violence in the state.
Ignored in UmuahiaThe sit-at-home was ignored yesterday in Umuahia, Abia State capital as residents went about their normal businesses without fear of any molestation.All banks in the capital city opened for business just as markets and street shops were also open.
Schools also opened while the roads were very busy with both human and vehicular traffic.
For some months now, residents of Umuahia have always ignored the Monday sit-at-home which the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB, has since suspended.However, the phobia which has kept people home during the exercise recorded partial compliance yesterday in Aba.
Unlike Umuahia, Aba residents always stayed at home during Monday sit-at-homes, but the tide is beginning to change in recent times.
There was increased security patrol around the commercial city yesterday, a development that gave residents the morale to ignore the order.
Many markets were open although traders and customers were still scared to operate.
Unlike previous exercises, many street, stores were also open for business in Aba.Residents of the commercial city are gradually beginning to overcome the phobia associated with the sit-at-home order.
Partial compliance in Anambra
But for the closure of most banks to their customers and the withdrawal of commercial vehicles from the road by inter-state transporters, the major cities in Anambra State went about their businesses yesterday.
Operators of the shuttle buses and tricycles were plying in the various towns without hindrance and movement was normal.The markets were open and the shopping malls attended to their customers. Traffic along the Enugu-Onitsha expressway and the Onitsha-Owerri road was light.
Many schools were also open and normal lectures took place accordingly.The state secretariat opened for business, although only a few workers were seen. Workers who spoke said they found it difficult to get transport outside the state capital to come to work. Filling stations were also open for business.
Ghost Mondays continue in Nsukka
However, it was a different story where economic, social, and academic activities remained paralyzed every Monday in Nsukka and other adjoining local government areas in Enugu North Senatorial District owing to the sit-at-home order which has been suspended by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB.
Vanguard monitored the situation and observed that the major markets in the District were shut even as primary and secondary school pupils and students were asked to remain at home.
A resident of Nsukka Local Government Area, Mike Eze, told Vanguard that the people of the area no longer fix social ceremonies on Mondays for the fear of the unknown.
“Most of the commentaries have bordered on examining the latent impacts the judgment may have beyond the monetary award and the apology. Of particular note is whether the judgment should directly or indirectly impact the persisting notion that Kanu had jumped bail in 2017, which was what grounded the bench warrant that was used to justify his rendition.
“In summary, the answer is in the affirmative that this landmark judgment has created new legal opportunities for Nnamdi Kanu, especially as regards impeaching the bench warrant that grandfathered his extraordinary rendition.
“Recall that from late 2017, I had maintained a well-publicized stance that Nnamdi Kanu never jumped bail and that he will, in due course of time, prove that it was the Nigerian government that compelled him to flee and seek refuge outside Nigeria. This was the material issue before the Court and it prevailed.
“In particular, the Court held that: “It is the view of this Court that the Army set out as pythons to terminate the life of Nnamdi Kanu. The military invasion of his home at Afaraukwu Ibeku is so notorious that this Court cannot turn a blind eye to it. He deserves an apology and compensation.
“Additionally, the Court held that: “Kanu has by credible evidence proved to the Court that his fundamental rights to dignity of the human person and personal liberty were wantonly or brazenly violated and his fundamental right to life threatened brazenly by the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
IPOB accuses FG of working to divide its ranks
Meantime, IPOB yesterday, alleged that the Federal Government is indefinitely holding its leader Nnamdi Kanu, because of his blunt refusal to take properties and monetary inducement offered him to abandon the struggle for Biafra liberation.
IPOB also alleged that the Federal Government is using the tactics of indefinite incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu, to see if it can infiltrate its ranks of destroying it from inside, while its leader is in custody.
A statement by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, entitled, “Why Federal Government is holding our leader, Nnamdi Kanu indefinitely” alleged that the federal government has been lobbying the international community to enlist their support against Biafra liberation, saying that they won’t succeed.
IPOB statement read: “The attention of the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has been drawn to the secret plans by the President Muhammadu Buhari- led government to illegally detain our leader Nnamdi Kanu for as long as possible.
“Their annoyance with our leader is his blunt refusal to take properties and monetary inducement offered him to abandon the struggle for Biafra liberation.
“The federal government decided to hold our leader indefinitely to see if it can infiltrate the ranks of our great movement and destroy it from inside while our leader is in custody.”The federal government is also relying on the promise by some traitors and black sheep in America and Europe that they would assist it realise the evil plot. The promise was made to the federal government during their secret visit to Aso Rock last December.
“We are also aware that the federal government has been lobbying the international community to enlist their support against Biafra liberation but they won’t succeed.”IPOB is, therefore, warning that anybody distracting or causing division in the IPOB family is a tool knowingly or unknowingly working for the federal government of Nigeria.
“The fact remains that Biafra is a divine project. It has gone beyond any single individual including our leader. Millions of the oppressed Biafran youths home and abroad are now more aware and conscious of the struggle than ever. It’s only a matter of time. Biafra MUST come. It can only be delayed but certainly not suppressed.’Our leader, Nnamdi Kanu, must be released unconditionally. So, the federal government won’t achieve its aim because our leader, Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB members committed no crime known to law both locally and internationally.
“Again, we want to raise the alarm that the Department of State Services, DSS, has concluded plans to hold and keep torturing three innocent Igbo women in solitary confinement without allowing them out of their tiny cell at all.
“These innocent women were being held under such conditions because they have refused to lie against our leader, Nnamdi Kanu. So, the DSS intends to break their spirit.
“The DSS is going to courts and obtaining black market orders to detain Biafrans indefinitely. And one of the judges issuing such orders is of Federal High Court Abuja. The world should be aware of this. They must be made to account for their crimes.”
(Vanguard)
