The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide yesterday urged Southeast residents to go about their normal business every Monday because “the era of sit-at-home is gone”.
It asked schools, transporters and traders not to be afraid of any attack.
Ahead of the yuletide, the organisation called on market associations, road transport unions, labour leaders and interest groups to sensitise their members on the need to resume full economic activities in Igbo land on Mondays.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had suspended its weekly sit-at-home, which it declared to protest the arrest and detention of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is on trial alleged treasonable felony charges.
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Despite the suspension, those who came out on previous Mondays were attacked.
Igbo leaders, led by the First Republic Aviation Minister, Chief Mbazuluike Amechi, visited President Buhari at the weekend, urging him to release the IPOB leader.
The President said he would consider the request, despite it being “an extremely difficult demand”.
In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, Ohanaeze Ndigbo noted that IPOB had cancelled the Ghost Monday.
This, it added, was because every stakeholder in zone was committed to Kanu’s release.
The statement reads: “The President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Prof. George Obiozor, uses this opportunity to appreciate the understanding and maturity exhibited by the IPOB during the Anambra State governorship election and the cancellation of the Monday sit-at-home.
“They have indeed scored two major points: first, the Igbo detractors and doomsayers were disappointed that the election was a resounding success. The second is that the IPOB can listen to appeal by the elders.
“It is very heartwarming that the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, traditional rulers, archbishops, governors, eminent persons, women groups, political class, the academia, etc, in Igboland are united in the Release-Nnamdi-Kanu-Project.
“This has proved to the sceptics that the Igbo unity is incontrovertible and that they can also be mobilised within a very short time.
“There is no gainsaying the diverse views and persuasions among the Igbo but the maturity in the Igbo republicanism is the rare capacity to unite for a common interest any time the need arises.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo calls on all the market associations, road transport unions, labour leaders and all the interest groups to sensitise their members towards full economic activities in all parts of Igboland on Mondays.
“As the Christmas season approaches, it is expected that the volume of business transactions will be on the increase.
“It is to the advantage of the Igboland that financial inflow into the Southeast within the period is not encumbered by any means.
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide yesterday urged Southeast residents to go about their normal business every Monday because “the era of sit-at-home is gone”.
It asked schools, transporters and traders not to be afraid of any attack.
Ahead of the yuletide, the organisation called on market associations, road transport unions, labour leaders and interest groups to sensitise their members on the need to resume full economic activities in Igbo land on Mondays.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had suspended its weekly sit-at-home, which it declared to protest the arrest and detention of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is on trial alleged treasonable felony charges.
Despite the suspension, those who came out on previous Mondays were attacked.
Igbo leaders, led by the First Republic Aviation Minister, Chief Mbazuluike Amechi, visited President Buhari at the weekend, urging him to release the IPOB leader.
The President said he would consider the request, despite it being “an extremely difficult demand”.
In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, Ohanaeze Ndigbo noted that IPOB had cancelled the Ghost Monday.
This, it added, was because every stakeholder in zone was committed to Kanu’s release.
The statement reads: “The President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Prof. George Obiozor, uses this opportunity to appreciate the understanding and maturity exhibited by the IPOB during the Anambra State governorship election and the cancellation of the Monday sit-at-home.
“They have indeed scored two major points: first, the Igbo detractors and doomsayers were disappointed that the election was a resounding success. The second is that the IPOB can listen to appeal by the elders.
“It is very heartwarming that the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, traditional rulers, archbishops, governors, eminent persons, women groups, political class, the academia, etc, in Igboland are united in the Release-Nnamdi-Kanu-Project.
“This has proved to the sceptics that the Igbo unity is incontrovertible and that they can also be mobilised within a very short time.
“There is no gainsaying the diverse views and persuasions among the Igbo but the maturity in the Igbo republicanism is the rare capacity to unite for a common interest any time the need arises.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo calls on all the market associations, road transport unions, labour leaders and all the interest groups to sensitise their members towards full economic activities in all parts of Igboland on Mondays.
“As the Christmas season approaches, it is expected that the volume of business transactions will be on the increase.
“It is to the advantage of the Igboland that financial inflow into the Southeast within the period is not encumbered by any means.
“While the huge losses incurred in the last months because of the sit-at-home are highly regrettable, efforts must be made to ensure that further losses are averted.”
IPOB had at the weekend reiterated its warning to those enforcing the suspended sit-at-home, saying it would hunt them down.
In a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the group alleged that those enforcing the order were impostors.
“We are advising our people to ignore anybody enforcing non-existent Monday sit-at-home order and go about their normal business because such person(s) are working for our enemies.
“They intend to blackmail IPOB and set the movement against the people but they won’t succeed.
“Anyone caught adding to the pain of our people in the name of enforcing Monday sit-at-home order will be treated as the enemy that he or she is,” IPOB said.
