IPOB Sit-At-Home Suspended Order: Banks, Shops, Business Buildings Shut In Imo
There seem to be a collective agreement among the people of the South-East on issue of Biafran agitation and the release of Indigenous People of Biafra following their choice to stay at home today despite the suspension of sit-at-home order by the leadership of IPOB.
Owerri where NewsTrack Nigeria monitored the city of Owerri, Business buildings, Bank, Artisans Supermarkets, spare parts stalls on Monday were all shut.
This coming after IPOB had suspended the every Monday sit-at-home order. Most families stayed at home. The reason may not not be unconnected with the fear of what might be the consequences of taking such risk.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, in a statement, directed all residents to ignore the sit-at-home injunction and go about their normal businesses without fear of molestation.
Our checks reveal that streets of Owerri capital city were empty with few vehicles supposedly from the immediate residential areas plying the road for short visits. Very few numbers of commercial vehicles were also seen along weatheral even as the refused to go on long distance except between Amakohia and weatheral roads. Commuters were hardly seen as the few ones seen were either carrying one or two passengers.
At Wetheral road, all shops and offices were closed down due to fear of unknown while at Douglas Road few traders were seen selling their products on the road.
At the electronic and motor parts markets along Owerri-Aba express way, the ever busy markets were very scantly as only roadside vehicle repairers were seen around hoping to get customers who were far away from their place business.
Also, some petrol stations along the same Aba-Owerri road and within Owerri metropolis were shut.
A visit to Dan Anyiam Stadium, NTN noticed the presence of staff who in their tradition had a joint morning devotion and exercises with the Acting Director of Imo State Sports Commission leading out.
Recall that because of the roll call taken by the Commissioner of Sports during the last sit-at-home order, staff managed to make it but with regrets of having to trek very long distances while others had to pay through their nose to avoid being sanctioned by Imo State government.”
One of the athletes who simply gave his name as Ekene said he is not a staff but an athlete. He informed NTN that staff were highly furious over the way government has been playing with their lives. “Most of these staff are complaining over the nonchalant attitude of the government towards the their staff. Some complained of having spent a fortune to make it to the stadium because of fear of being sanctioned. Some are complaining of the risk of getting caught in the cross fire as many innocent people have been killed by alleged stray bullets”, he stated.
Most banks visited by our reporters were shut. Zenith, Access, FCMB, Sterling banks among others were shut down. “Speaking one of the internal security personnel of one of the banks, he said: “No responsible bank will take such risk. Hoodlums can take advantage of the situation to wreak havoc on any of the banks. Staying one day off to ward off such risk is better.”
Speaking to one Agams, he said: “We observed the sit-at-home order despite the news of its suspension because the same thing happened at the last one. Most platforms that seem to be close to the governments reported lies but it held. So, we cannot take such risk. You can see that everywhere is empty. We pay that the government of the day listen to the yearnings of the people. This is not democracy. To be together should not be by force.”
