Enugu Govt Seals Shops Observing IPOB Sit-At-Home Order

The Secretary to the State Government, Chidiebere Onyia, noted that the operation was aimed at demonstrating seriousness on the part of the government.

By Nkiruka Ajogwu
Updated July 24, 2023

The Enugu State Government on Monday sealed shops in major markets across the state that refused to do business in observance of the sit-at-home order of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

This comes after last week’s warning by Governor Peter Mbah that businesses in the state should open for business or risk being sealed.

According to the Secretary to the State Government, Chidiebere Onyia, who led the team from the Enugu State Capital Territory Development Authority, the operation was aimed at demonstrating seriousness on the part of the government.

He added that it was to support those that showed their willingness to comply with the government directives.

Enugu seals two banks, 107 shops for ‘obeying sit-at-home order’

The Enugu government has sealed two banks and 107 shops for allegedly observing “illegal sit-at-home order” in markets across the state.

According to NAN, the exercise was carried out by officials of the state government and Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) on Monday.

Chidiebere Onyia, the secretary to the state government (SSG), said the closure of the facilities was in line with the directives of Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu.

Onyia said the governor intends to “fight those that think they can intimidate us” and halt the economic setbacks of the sit-at-home order.

He added that 85 percent of traders showed up in the markets visited by the task force.

“It is not a punitive but ownership culture, where all of us come together to fight the menace of illegal sit-at-home in the state,” the SSG said.

“We are taking it up not because Mbah is in the business of stopping economic growth but to fight those that think they can intimidate us.”

“We have been to ShopRite, Celebrity – a shopping mall – SPAR and others, we saw shops that were not open, and we sealed them.

“That is why ECTDA is here, and the owners should go through a process to get them reopened.”

On his part, Gideon Onyia, the head of ECTDA, said 78 shops were sealed at the Ogbete market.

He added that two new generation banks, five shops at SPAR and 24 shops at the Old Artisan market were also sealed.

“So if you failed to obey our rules and directives, we can revoke them or withdraw your approvals and give them to people eager to do business in the state,” he said.

“Those whose shops are sealed, we will tell them the penalty, but the governor was magnanimous for saying that the exercise was not punitive.”

Sit-at-home order was introduced by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to protest the detention of Nnamdi Kanu, its leader.

Although the separatist group suspended the sit-at-home in September 2021, there have been reports of forceful and violent enforcement of the order by suspected thugs in the region.

naptu2:
He used their language!


The governor of Enugu State had threatened to seal up the shops of traders that refused to conduct business on Mondays. Simon Ekpa is saying that some officials sealed up shops today.

He is asking his viewers to identify the people that sealed up the shops and the office that they came from.

He says that they are going to seal up the homes of the officials and the office that they came from. He also said that they will hold a heavy crusade in those places.

Dear diary, I hope you remember that I have previously told you that the terrorists always use the term heavy crusade to describe their attacks.


https://twitter.com/simon_ekpa/status/1683458853571026944?t=VNWiyLATUQqWVaG96IAU8Q&s=19

tollyboy5:
I dont think they meant sealed. They just want to help the shop owners perform the sit at home properly.

My crush has not come online for long .
maybe she has decided to leave nairaland.

Brimstone77:
.....


Now can someone tell me the different between those enforcing sit at home and the enugu state government?

One is forcing people to stay at home while the other is forcing people to come out..

Remember both are using threats and force to archive their aim..


You want to boast your state economy and at the same time sealing shops..

Those that their shops were sealed will be restricted from doing business today and probably tomorrow being Wednesday..


Wisdom is ..........

jmoore:
This is first class foolishness by the governor of Enugu state.

jmoore:
This is first class foolishness by the governor of Enugu state.