Enugu State government on Tuesday initiated a bold move to stop the one-week sit-at-home announced by the Simeon Ekpa-led Biafra agitators in the southeast region.
Ekpa had last week ordered a sit-at-home in the region beginning from Tuesday, July 3 to July 8 as part of the measures to press for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The IPOB had however dissociated itself from the order and urged people to go about their normal legitimate duties, stressing that those behind the order were not known to the group.
On Tuesday morning however (the beginning of the order), several schools and businesses in Enugu remained under lock and key while a few vehicles plied the roads apparently in compliance with the order.
Some schools had notified parents of their intention to comply with the order and asked them not to bring their children to school. The markets and offices were not left out.
Disturbed by the development, the state government on Tuesday announced its readiness to deal with institutions that comply with the order.
“The Enugu State Government is alarmed and dismayed by this development and hereby warns that any school that fails to open and function normally from today will have its license revoked immediately,” Secretary to the state government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia said in a statement.
“The Enugu State Government also extends the same warning to market unions and shop owners in the state. All markets and shops in the various markets must be open to customers from today or be shut down indefinitely.
“Government reiterates its ban on any form of illegal sit-at-home in all parts of the state, as it is evil and antithetical to all values we hold dear as a people, such as the Igbo spirit of industry, hardwork, creativity and productivity.
“The general public is urged to go about their normal daily activities as adequate security measures have been put in place to protect lives and property.
“Government will no longer sit by and watch faceless groups and misguided individuals issue illegal orders, dictating to us how to lead our lives, when to go to work or market and when our children go to school, while they ply their trade and their children go to school. This is no longer acceptable and must be confronted and defeated with every power and resources at our disposal.
“The State Government also warns that it will deploy the full instrumentality of the law such as the Cybercrime Act 2015 to go after and prosecute anybody, individuals, groups and organisations intentionally encouraging the illegal sit-at-home order, instilling fear on residents, raising false alarm to disturb public peace, etc, through fake news sharing and propagation of falsehood connected with the illegal sit-at-home order on social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, etc. This, however, is by no means, depriving citizens freedom of speech and information as enshrined in the constitution.”
THEGUARDIAN
