Indications have emerged that the South-East region of Nigeria, loses over N10 billion daily, following the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, directive to residents, traders, corporate workers to Sit-at-Home.
This development have thus affected bussinesses across the geopolitical zone, as investors, traders, residents counts their losses.
For instance, Onitsha, the commercial city and Nnewi, the industrial town of Anambra State, observed total compliance with the sit-at-home directive by the IPOB, over President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Imo State.
As early as 6.30a.m. iBrandTV gathered that, the major roads and street in Onitsha were deserted, even by residents who made early morning movements to churches and physical exercises venues.
The leadership of markets in Onitsha, like Onitsha Main Market, Ochanja Central Market and a major food stuff market, the Ose Okwodu Market, had announced to the traders that there will be no commercial activities in the markets today.
N10bn loss daily to directive
While reacting to the development, the Chairman of South-East Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Umahi disclosed that region loses over N10 billion each time it observes the sit at home order.
Umahi noted that the state would not subscribe to incessant calls for sit-at-home within the region.
He added that any Civil Servant who was absent from work because of the sit-at-home order would be sanctioned.
“Evil will continue to thrive if good people keep quiet; we must make Ebonyi State very exceptional by rising to the challenges. When we shout true federalism, I say I agree but it should be administrative restructuring, Ebonyi State is not in support of any State collecting VAT, we are in support that FIRS should continue to collect tax and share.
“We are destroying our economy, the sit at home is not happening in South West, the North is not sitting at home, each time we sit at home, we lose over N10 billion in our economy, so Ebonyi State will not sit at home any day, so I charge the commissioners to go all out and ensure that Civil Servants come to work, and for the markets, I will personally be in the markets tomorrow, anyone who is no longer interested in owning shops can go home.”
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Nigerians react
According to By Vincent Ujumadu, the agitation by the IPOB reached an anti-climax when the arrowhead in the agitation, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the IPOB, was brought back from Kenya and detained by the Department of State Security, DSS, in Abuja
“In Imo, Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi, lives were lost and some vehicles seen on the road were set ablaze.
“Attempt by some state governors in the South East to counter the order were unsuccessful as the threat to workers that they stood the risk of losing their salaries if they failed to go to work that Monday, was not obeyed.
“One civil servant in Anambra State said he decided to remain at home as directed by IPOB because it is somebody who is alive that would receive a salary. “If I die by insisting to be in my office, will another person not take my position”, he asked.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that with the success of the first Monday sit at home order, IPOB supporters started mocking the South-East governors that while the people could not obey them in their various states to come out, the entire Igbo nation obeyed Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s order even while in detention.
“We are happy our people are beginning to understand where we are heading to”, a member of IPOB in Anambra said. However, following the intervention of notable Igbo people, including leaders of Ohaneze Ndigbo, that IPOB should reconsider its stand on the weekly sit at home, the pro-Biafra group reviewed its earlier stand and suspended the weekly sit at home.