Ishilove: What is the federal government doing about this?
1) It's difficult to go after Simon Ekpa while he is in Finland because he is a Finnish citizen (in fact, he won a local government election in Finland).
2) There are various security operations going on in the South-East to apprehend his followers.
Simon Ekpa was once a soldier in the Finnish Army and he is using his military training to instruct some of the people that are carrying out violent acts in the South-East.
alizma: But I thought they said IPOB is no longer responsible for the sit at home or is there something I am missing?
There are two factions, the DOS faction and the Simon Ekpa faction. The DOS faction has cancelled the Monday sit at home. They said that people should only sit at home on the days that Nnamdi Kanu is appearing in court.
However, the Simon Ekpa faction is enforcing the Monday sit at home order. In fact, they've made other orders that have endangered the lives of people in the South-East. For example, they have ordered that no school should sing the Nigerian anthem and that there should be no Nigerian security operative in the South East. They have attacked burials and weddings simply because the people holding those ceremonies hired vigilantes for security (they don't want to see any vigilante or Nigerian security operative).
od501: Ipob never ordered Monday sit at home, and soludo knows this. If you want to stop the Sit at home on Mondays, and the menace of UGM, talk to the Daura Secrete Security. They know themselves.
od501: How can people who claim they are educated and well informed still accuse IPOB for introducing the Monday sit at home? In two separate official letters, IPOB have disassociated themselves from the Monday sit at him and the UGM. So... why those this people like chasing shadows? Call Out the real culprits. Sit at home comes each time NK goes to court.
Simon Ekpa has taken responsibility for the Monday sit at home order.
A factional leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa has condemned Governor Soludo's directive against Monday sit-at-home order.
Simon Ekpa @simon_ekpa
Soludo’s directive to civil servant in Anambra is dead on arrival, he should ask other Governors. Obiano went to the street as a towncryer to no avail. We are warning Soludo not to use his overzealousness to endanger the live of our women & children as the DSS are killing them.
Ejiphill09: Good... Soludo on a rescue mission! One thing is to write that letter another is to provide security for those workers against those hoodlum that may attack them on their way to work or while going back.
Another issue is i don't see it feasible now only if those bus, taxi and keke drivers will also cancel their sit at home because many of those worker depends on public transport.
But it's all a nice move.
He had meetings with the market leaders and transport unions today and they all agreed to resume for duty on Mondays.
Soludo outlaws sit-at-home, directs Anambra workers, markets to resume on Mondays
March 25, 2022
Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, on Friday put paid to the sit-at-home by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra and ordered the state’s civil servants and markets to resume work on Mondays.
At a separate meeting with market leaders, Soludo said the state government would no longer tolerate the shutting down of markets on Mondays.
He and the market leaders agreed that markets would reopen fully on Monday April 4, 2022.
Soludo held a town hall meeting with all the market leaders in all Anambra markets and also the leaders of the respective transport unions in the state.
The meeting which took place at the Professor Dora Akunyili Women Development Center Awka, was attended by the Deputy Governor, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Solo Chukwulobelu, Security Agencies, among others.
Soludo while addressing the gathering noted that his administration has great plans for all Anambra markets
The Governor who noted that the market leaders and transporters are critical stakeholders in the new Anambra project said that the economy of Anambra is dominated by the commercial sector.
He restated his commitment towards cleaning up all the markets but empathized that all must join hands to restore Anambra to it’s prime status.
He said that his administration will review the market leadership, park management system and promised to restore the master plan of Onitsha.
The Governor regretted the way people erect structures against the physical planning of the state and maintained that his administration will not entertain such primitive conduct.
The Governor assured to conduct a free, fair and open election in all the markets and review their terms of reference in the interest of the state come next year.
Governor Soludo said that the goal is to make doing business in Anambra a pleasurable experience and empathized that the Monday sit- at-home should end as a way of achieving that objective but noted that his government is open for dialogue against breakdown.
Maintaining that Anambra loses about 19.6 billion naira at every Monday sit-at-home, Governor Soludo said that there are better ways to channel protests and agitations rather than suffering the Innocent.
Governor Soludo who noted that there is no conflict that dialogue, in good faith, cannot resolve, reiterated his governments determination to urgently restore peace and security in Anambra, and sorts for the active cooperation and collaboration of all stakeholders even as he harped on the need for those in the bush to lay down their arms and join in building the state.
It was unanimously resolved at the meeting that starting from 4th April 2022, all Anambra markets and roads should be busy with usual commercial activities.
The President, Anambra Amalgamated Traders Association, ASMATA, Chief Ikechukwu Ekwegbalu in a vote of thanks, assured that they will continue to support the policies and programs of the government directed towards making Anambra a more liveable place.
This is the head of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Femi Oke-Osayintolu. I don't think that he has ever been elected to the position of governor of Lagos. Furthermore, he is not wearing a firefighting suit. What he is wearing is a LASEMA safety suit.