Enugu govt threatens to sanction schools, businesses obeying sit-at-home order

The Enugu State Government has said it will sanction schools and businesses that obeyed the ongoing controversial two-day sit-at-home in Nigeria’s south-east.

The sit-at-home is believed to be enforced by a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group agitating for secession of South-east and some parts of South-south from Nigeria.

Chidiebere Onyia, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), disclosed this at a joint press conference on Monday.

Other officials of the government, as well as security chiefs in Enugu, attended the conference, which was held after a tour of schools, businesses, financial institutions, and markets in the state.

The security chiefs who attended the press conference are Steven Dogo, Garrison Commander, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, a brigadier-general; Theresa Egbunu, state director of the State security service; and Kanayo Uzuegbu, commissioner of police in the state.

The sit-at-home controversy

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the two-day sit-at-home followed a recent viral video clip in which an unidentified man asked residents of the South-east to observe sit-at-home on Monday, 21 and Tuesday, 22 October.

This newspaper reported that both IPOB and the controversial Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, have separately disowned the two-day sit-at-home.

However, residents remained indoors while schools and other businesses were shut on Monday and Tuesday across the South-east.

Sanction for obeying illegal order

Speaking at the press conference, Mr Onyia, a professor, said the government would adequately sanction teachers from both private and public schools who stayed off school on Monday in compliance with the illegal order.

“This also applies to markets, businesses, financial institutions and the rest of them. We insist on zero compliance to an illegal directive,” he said.

The SSG commended residents of the state for “resisting” the sit-at-home declared by people who he described as “enemies of progress.”

He told the residents that their actions had shown that Enugu had since gone beyond the stage of obeying illegal orders.

“Enugu is open for business and Enugu is fully engaged in assuring that private sector actors feel very comfortable coming into Enugu. So, we will not tolerate non-state actors trying to act in defiance of our clear approach to growing our economy.

“What is also important is that under this governor and government, there has been no incident on any Monday from the day the governor cancelled the illegal sit-at-home,” he said.

“Because we heard the rumours of an illegal sit-at-home directive by non-state actors, the security forces and the state government decided to move around the state to ensure that people feel safe.”

Mr Onyia said he and other government officials went to different locations such as schools, markets, financial institutions, and civil service offices and were satisfied with the turnout of the people in the state.

The SSG assured that the government would ensure more security presence to reassure the people of its commitment to ending the illegal order.

He reiterated that the government would sanction schools, markets, and institutions that obeyed the sit-at-home order.

Security chiefs speak

Speaking on behalf of other security chiefs, the police commissioner, Mr Uzuegbu stressed that sit-at-home remained an “aberration” in Enugu State.

The commissioner emphasised the determination of the security agencies and the government to deal “ruthlessly” with “troublemakers” in the state.

“So, on behalf of my colleagues, I want to assure the good people of Enugu that their security is guaranteed. Any action of a person or persons to jeopardise the peace of the state will be ruthlessly dealt with,” he said.

“The consequences are going to be very harsh.”

Background

IPOB, in August 2021, introduced a sit-at-home order every Monday across the South-east to pressure the Nigerian government to release its detained leader, Mr Kanu, who is being tried for terrorism at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The separatist group later suspended the order, in preference for it to be implemented only on days Mr Kanu appears in court.

But despite its suspension, residents of the five South-east states – Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia and Anambra — have been observing the sit-at-home order, mostly out of fear.

IPOB had repeatedly disowned the Monday sit-at-home across the region, saying those who still enforce the order were criminals attempting to blackmail the separatist group.

But Mr Ekpa has continued to declare the sit-at-home in the region, despite being suspended by the IPOB faction led by Mr Kanu.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Kanu, the IPOB leader in late July 2023, through Aloy Ejimakor, his special counsel, ordered Mr Ekpa to stop issuing sit-at-home orders in the region.

However, Mr Ekpa described the letter as “fake,” and maintained that the illegal action would go on until Mr Kanu spoke to him directly in Finland, a North European country, where he (Ekpa) resides.

READ ALSO: IPOB disowns latest sit-at-home in South-east, reveals those behind it

Meanwhile, several Igbo leaders such as the Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State and his Anambra State counterpart, Charles Soludo, had made unsuccessful efforts to stop the illegal action.

For instance, Governor Soludo, months after being sworn-in as governor, declared prayer to end the sit-at-home in the state before threatening to sanction those who obey the illegal order.

Similarly, Mr Mbah, on assumption of office as governor of Enugu State in May 2023, banned sit-at-home in the state.