Nigeria: Anambra Governor Soludo Orders Schools, Banks, Shops to Disregard Sit-at-Home, Open on Mondays

Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, on Saturday ordered all markets, schools, banks, public servants and motor parks in the state to resume normal activities with effect from Monday, April 4, 2022.

Speaking at the Women Development Centre in Awka, the state capital, Soludo expressed unhappiness that the state, and indeed the whole of the South-east, was losing billions of naira in revenue as a result of the boycott of economic activities on Mondays.

He warned that any market leader or chairman, who failed to mobilise traders for business on Mondays in their marketplaces would lose his position, adding that any trader who also failed to open his shop on Monday would lose his shop in the market.

The warning is coming just a few days after some unknown gunmen sent letters to some Anambra communities warning them of the dangers of not complying with the sit-at-home order on Mondays.

Although the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which introduced the sit-at-home order, had on several occasions, announced the suspension of the order, some hoodlums have continued to enforce the order.

However, the governor, who sternly warned that the Monday sit-at-home must end, also cautioned the market leaders and relevant authorities to ensure compliance.

“Every Monday sit-at-home must end in Anambra. Normal activities must resume in earnest. With the Monday sit-at-home, the South-east economy is sinking gradually. When you boycott activities in Anambra or any other part of the region, normal activities are going on in other parts of the country. When normal activities are going on in other places, the person or persons you want to show your anger to is not actually feeling what you are doing. You are only destroying your home.

“It is high time we came back to our senses and do the right thing. We have proper ways and procedures to express our agitations than to engage in activities that can only destroy our home.

“In other parts of the country, schoolchildren attend classes for five days; but in Anambra and other parts of the South-east, it is only four days. At the end of the day, our children will go into common or unity exams with other children from other parts of the country.

“Today, many businesses and investors are relocating to Asaba and other places. This is killing our economy and we cannot afford to continue that way.

“Personally, I endorsed the joint decision of Igbo elders, bishops and others that there should be a tripartite conversation about the issue of Nnamdi Kanu and Biafra agitation. Therefore, we must do things the right way; while we await such conversation.

“Therefore, with effect from Monday, April 4, 2022, every school, bank, market, motor pack and other human activities will resume in earnest. Any market leader who fails to mobilise traders in his market will be sanctioned; and any trader who fails to open his shop for business every Monday will also face sanction. School heads and operators of financial institutions should also take note.

“On our part as government, we are mobilising security agencies, including the armed forces and informal security organisations to take charge, and to move all over the state to ensure that lives and property of our people are protected. Very soon, our people will start seeing the heavy presence of the security operatives.”

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