Residents of Awka and Onitsha, on Monday, insisted on staying indoors despite the order by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), suspending the ‘every Monday’ sit-at-home protest declared in solidarity with Nnamdi Kanu’s detention.
IPOB, speaking through its Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, had two days ago, called off the sit-at-home order following wide consultations, saying the exercise would henceforth hold only on days its leader, Kanu, would appear in court.
But as of 8 a.m., markets in Onitsha, Nnewi and Awka, the state capital were still empty as only a few traders had come to the market to trade.
Tribune Online gathered that roads and streets were deserted, while banks shops were under lock and key across Awka, Nnewi and Onitsha.
A resident, who identified himself as Vincent Onuegbu, said he stayed indoors because he didn’t believe the suspension of the order was true.
He said, “I heard over the Radio Biafra that there was nothing like suspension of the sit-at-home. Besides, we’re not happy if it’s true. We want it to continue till Kanu is released.”
Another Awka resident, Mr Ignatus, said if the suspension was true as announced by Radio Biafra, “then IPOB should extent the announcement through town criers, local radio stations and adverts in newspapers.
“A lot of traders in Eke-Awka market do not open shops because the suspension information did not get to there on time.”
“Government too, has to be blamed for not providing security on the streets and roads this morning to boost people morals to go out without fears,” Ignatius said.
He advised the governors, also to help to announce the suspension on the state-owned radio/television stations in foreign and local languages.
Some residents in Awka, who spoke to our correspondent, said the news of the suspension was not widely circulated.
A trader at Aroma, popularly known as Oga Boss, who trades in phone parts said: “I didn’t plan to go out today because of the sit-at-home. I’m just hearing it from you that it has just been suspended.”
A trader in Onitsha main market, Emeka Ezenwata said, “The market opens at 7 a.m. every morning, and usually, on a Monday, after a long weekend, traders itch to come to their shops, and that means that as early as 6 a.m., most traders are already waiting for market officials to open their shops, so they can go to work.
“But today, it is already 8 a.m., and the markets are already open, but only a few traders have arrived. As I was coming to market from Fegge where I live, I found the whole street scanty, unlike what used to happen, on Monday mornings, when there is usually a rush,” he intoned.
Nnewi, at the time of filing this report, all shops are still under lock and key over the fear of what happened last week Monday, when the sit-at-home order started.
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