₦airaland Forum

Shehuyinka:
FOR many residents of South-East Nigeria, Monday is part of the weekend. Banks, shops, transport companies, churches, schools and government offices are under lock and key.

For 52 Mondays in a year, revenues and profits do not matter. Jobs and contracts are of no significance. What matters is what the people hold dear: freedom.

The South-East zone is made up of five states: Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi. It is the only region with five states in Nigeria, with the other five zones having six, except North-West region that has seven.

On August 22, 2022, a bright Monday morning, The ICIR reporter was in Onitsha, the commercial nerve centre of the South-East Nigeria, to witness the much-discussed sit-at-home exercise.

On that sunny Monday morning, markets were all closed. The streets were turned into football fields. It was another day for roadwork – and everybody was allowed to keep fit.

The pubs were full as early as 10 am with boisterous men exchanging banters over bottles of beer.

It was a rowdy session at a taproom close to Urban Girls Secondary School, Fegge, Onitsha.

The reporter sat there, trying to feel the pulse of the people. “Are you happy with this sit-at-home exercise?” the reporter asked a man sitting close to him.

It was a simple question meant for an acquaintance, but eavesdroppers hijacked the discussion and turned it into a row.

A man in his early 40s responded, “Are you also one of the saboteurs?”

The reporter answered in the negative. The atmosphere was getting tense, and tempers could flare.

After feeling reassured that the reporter was not a saboteur, the man said, “This present government of Muhammadu Buhari is responsible for this sit-at-home. We will continue to sit at home every Monday until he releases our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”

Almost everybody in the pub responded with a nod. But a fellow, who obviously belonged to a different school of thought asked, “How does this sit-at-home exercise affect Buhari?”

A man in his 40s, whom the reporter later understood to be Chima, said it did not matter.

“We are fighting for our freedom. We will continue to shut down our region every Monday until the Federal government releases our leader,” he retorted.

A major point in the sit-at-home exercise is that Chima and others who cheered him were taking its financial implications for granted.

How it all began
The ICIR ventured into an estimation of what the region could be losing from its citizens sitting at home every Monday by looking at losses borne by businesses known as nano/homestead and micro enterprises.

Nano or homestead enterprises have one to two workers and make an annual turnover of less than N3 million. Micro businesses, on the other hand, have three to nine staff members and an annual turnover of N3 million to N25 million, according to the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and the National Bureau of Statistics.

Micro and nano businesses were considered because they make up 99.8 per cent of MSMEs in Nigeria, according to a 2017 SMEDAN report.

Before the investigation officially commenced in August 2022, the reporter had been interacting with businesses in the region, especially micro-enterprises, since January 2022, trying to understand how the sit-at-home exercise affected them and how much they were losing in financial terms from the exercise.

A total of 22 micro businesses were interviewed in each of the five states of the South-East region. They were asked to estimate, based on their financial records, how much they earned in revenue every Monday before the sit-at-home began.

Some micro-business owners refused to disclose their income levels. A few of them even avoided the reporter completely.

However, a sizeable number of them later cooperated freely.

Visited locations
In Anambra State, micro and nano business owners, ranging from petty traders dealing in clothes at the Main Market in Onitsha to kiosk operators at Eke Ekwulobia, were interviewed.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/south-east-nigeria-the-cost-of-monday-sit-at-home-exercise-part-1/

Jalinspy:
Tinubu will never succeed. We know it's his plan. Go for debate, he will not. Only to witch-hunt he is good at.
By the end of February, he wouldn't have mouth even to say bala bulu bulu

Kewtt:
https://twitter.com/PeterObi/status/1614523964998524928?t=M8TwAa4_Vfh26oIFsrdp2Q&s=19[/quote]It is either Obi is behind ESN/IPOB or he doesn't have the liver to confront them. How then does he want to confront ISWAP? The dumbo thinks he is far away in the south and ISWAP is in the north... then he can talk about ISWAP but ESN/IPOB, mba... he dares not.

Evaloyal2J:
Mischief maker. Divide obis vote to give the great grandpa a hedge. what master plan does tinubu have that he couldn't give to Buhari since 8yrs to turn things around? It's your turn to fetch water.nansense

NigerianAngelo:
Criminal OP. I've seen your post here, more than 1000 jittery about Peter Obi's Presidency.

Now you want Igbos to split votes.

You are funny. Do Igbos look like fools to you?

Spider123:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42m4eVdTQUE

unohbethel:
Redeemed Church, RCCG, Nigeria's Pentecostal Fellowship Invite Presidential Candidates, Sowore, Tinubu, Atiku, Obi, Others To Political Summit



Source: https://saharareporters.com/2023/01/13/redeemed-church-rccg-nigerias-pentecostal-fellowship-invite-presidential-candidates

newnet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fnmwlCGXDE

It is sad to note that up till now that Nigeria is drowning and many Nigerians are escaping to other countries, some Nigerians still do not wish for a peaceful and fair election to be conducted in Nigeria.

We all acknowledge that the problem of this country is bad leadership and the only way to save Nigeria now is for a competent leader to be elected to lead Nigeria and the only way to achieve this is through peaceful election.

A Thug was seen in Lagos recently trying to block non-Yorubas from getting their PVC which shows that many people are still blinded by tribal politics, a vice that greedy politicians depend on to perpetuate themselves in office, and that is why everyone is groaning.

People need to be guided concerning the coming elections if Nigeria will ever survive.

SocialJustice:
Hmm, February is next month. Nigeria will decide.

post=120031207:
Tinubu campaign rally in Akure

SocialJustice:
Hmm

Charming1:
Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who has been in detention with the Federal Government of Nigeria

KEEP TABS ON VIDEOS ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN HERE - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLy2sq98ONuETvesRjyKL81QLXg-_ERX_Z


Governor Soludo who made the demand during the APGA Campaign kick-off in Awka, specifically appealed to the Federal Government to release Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally.

Governor Soludo went further to assert that if the detained IPOB leader cannot be released unconditionally, he should be released to him saying he is ready to stand surety for him.

"I am making a passionate appeal to the Federal Government to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally. If he cannot be released unconditionally, i want him released to me and i will stand surety for him"

He went further, "We need Nnamdi Kanu in the roundtable conversation to discuss the insecurity in the South East. We must end insecurity in the South East and we need Nnamdi Kanu to be around."

Governor Soludo promised to cater for Nnamdi Kanu and also offered to bring him to the authorities any time he is required

KEEP TABS ON VIDEOS ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN HERE - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLy2sq98ONuETvesRjyKL81QLXg-_ERX_Z

DamnnNiggarr:
Peter Obi, in the company of Senator Dr Ahmed Yusuf-Datti, addresses Ondo State youths and students.



https://twitter.com/PeterObi/status/1614245913442091008?t=FQw4_OT_Hyrw28fDGDlYsg&s=19[/quote]Presidential campaigns have turned to town-hall meetings

Why is this guy wasting other people's time along with his own?

Racoon:
https://www.farooqkperogi.com/2023/01/from-muslim-muslim-to-is-he-really.html]) Mynd44, nlfpmod, Lalasticlala, Seun

EMMYLODE:
No matter how bad they make ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU look, we will stand with him
Obi is a hypocrites

Kewtt:
2023: He Is Reason I Call Lagos Home, Okocha Endorses Tinubu


https://independent.ng/2023-he-is-reason-i-call-lagos-home-okocha-endorses-tinubu/

Kewtt:
Tinubu Supported Me 22 Years Ago’, Kanu Nwankwo Replies Critics
Ex-International, Kanu Nwankwo, has narrated how Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State, reached out to him over two decades ago. The striker said…in a video posted on his Facebook page, Kanu defended his association with Tinubu, recalling how the politician showed generosity to him 22 years ago.

“A lot of people have been talking; all the same, we all are entitled to our opinions. Of course, we have to talk. I’m not a politician; I’m a footballer and a proud one at that. I’m a legend who knows what is good and what is not.”

“22 years ago when Kanu Heart Foundation was looking for people to support and help us touch lives, we got only three governors and Ahmed Tinubu was among them.

https://dailytrust.com/tinubu-supported-me-22-years-ago-kanu-nwankwo-replies-critics/

SLAP44:
Facts don't lie Enugu people refused to come out

The people that came were all speaking igala, is this place lokoja?

Mynd44
Nipfmod

PrinceOfLagos:
Peter Obi shouldn't be going into massive crowd like this for his safety

It's risky especially now that he's seen as a big threat to The opposition parties.

lhordspy:
Things are starting to Align. The yorubas, ijaws, igala, ebira, eggon, kanuris, idoma, tivs, gbagyi, fulani/hausa and a whole lot of others ......are all behind Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

It is left for the igbos to join the winning team. Quit being a lone-ranger. It is time to align with other Nigerians to move the country forward, and for a greater South-East.

Join the winning team now so you dont cry and wail about marginalisation and segregation for the next 8years just like the past years of Buhari's administration.

Na person wey support us, go follow us enjoy the new Nigeria to come.
Salam/Shalom

pandax:
Lucky you with your fuel price above(N310 - N400)!. My area in PH yesterday, I bought fuel from petrol station for N480 per litre ooo.

MICHEALADEX:
The governorship election results will be reprinted and he will be a loser again

herkeem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZr94MJV5Fw


The Presidential Campaign Rally of the Labour Party continues today in Osogbo the Capital of Osun State. This is the moment jubilant supporters welcomed H.E Peter Obi to Osogbo as he landed in the state capital.

trutharena:
They should show this picture to that liar Peter Obi who ran away from Ondo after seeing the naming ceremony he organized in Ekiti by lying it’s cause of insecurities.

God bless Jagaban
Ondo is safe than all states in the SE

MyVILLAGEpeople:
Nigeria politicans are too hypocritical. Nigeria politics is filled with sycophants. Oshiomole was busy attacking Obasanjo and the PDP administrations but didn't say anything on Buhari disastrous administration.

Akpabio even turned a gospel song into singing Tinubu praises.