Ban of Sit-at-home: Group Applauds Mbah, Enugu Residents, IPOB, MASSOB, Workers, Traders for Compliance.
A civil society organisation, the Enugu Good Governance Group (E-3G) has commended Enugu residents, workers, and traders, and others for the substantial compliance with government’s directive to return to work and their businesses on Mondays, starting from June 5.
The group also extolled the Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, for leading from the front in the efforts to restore productivity on Mondays.
The E-3G further commended the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, the Church, among others for supporting government’s efforts to bring the sit-at-home to an end.
The group gave the commendations in a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Comrade Odinaka Okechukwu, on Tuesday.
“We commend the government and private sector workers, traders, artisans, and motorists for the commendable compliance with government’s directive to get back to their offices and businesses on Mondays. It shows the resoluteness of our people to return to work, engender productivity, and project the positive image and realities that drive investment flows into Enugu State.
“The truth is that the Monday sit-at-home is not about Biafra or Nnamdi Kanu, as IPOB has repeatedly denounced it. If it is about Nnamdi Kanu, Umuahia, where Mazi Nnamdi Kanu hails from won’t be going about their normal businesses with government offices in full operation on Mondays, and Anambra State where the Ezeigbo Gburugburu, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, government offices, Agu Awka, and other businesses wouldn’t have been opening and running their normal schedules in Awka on Mondays.
“It is noteworthy that in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State, Simon Ekpa’s home state, the residents open their markets and offices on Mondays. The same goes for Owerri. Why then should Enugu’s case be different?
“We therefore commend Governor Peter Mbah, not only for taking the initiative to reboot normalcy in Enugu on Mondays, but also for leading the charge by visiting government offices and markets in person to encourage our people. The optics demonstrates the political will to restore business, commerce, industry, and productivity in Enugu State”.
The group equally commended the Enugu State government and the security agencies for putting measures in place to ensure that there was no incident of attack in any part of the state as people obeyed the government’s directive to return to work and businesses on Monday and urged the people to take their destinies in their own hands.
“As the governor rightly pointed out, the success or failure of efforts to end sit-at-home is collective. If we succeed, as we are currently doing, it demonstrates our willingness to rise against intimidation by those, who have no stake in the economy and wellbeing of Enugu State.
“It is not about the government or Mbah. It is about us as a people, who bear the brunt of the destruction of our economy, lives, and property. And we dare say it is about us, who have become the butt of jokes among other Nigerians”, the group posited.
E-3G also joined the appeals by Dr. Mbah, the Church, and various pro-Biafra activists to President Bola Tinubu to initiate the process for the release of IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to accelerate stability and peace in the South East region in particular and Nigeria as a whole.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Sam Udekwe is a journalist working in the News and Current Affairs department, Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) Enugu. He is well trained in all genres of journalistic venture.
Mr Sam read Mass Communication, graduating all with Distinction in National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma at IMT, Enugu and Madonna University, Okija, Anambra state, while he is presently on his M.Sc programme also in Mass Communication, at National Open University of Nigeria.
He is currently the NUJ Chairman, Enugu state.
samowailo@gmail.com
