•As governor monitors compliance on ban on sit-at-home
From Geoffrey Anyanwu and Jude Chinedu, Enugu
Residents of Enugu State, particularly traders have bemoaned the sit-at-home order in the South East describing it as a plague that has crippled their businesses and household economies.
They said they were tired of being forced to sit at home every Monday by persons enforcing the order which had been suspended by the Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB).
Receiving Governor Peter Mbah at various markets and residential areas within the state capital where he visited to monitor compliance on the ban on sit-at-home, residents and traders thanked him for the courage to end the order by non-state actors.
Daily Sun reports that was relatively a busy day in some of the areas visited by the governor as business concerns were opened for customers.
Mbah visited Spar Mall, Roban Stores at Bisalla Road, Market Square, Shoprite, Zenith Bank at Ogui Road, Celebrities, Ogbete Market, Garki Awkunanaw Market, Mayor Market, Abakpa Market, and the State Secretariat, and commended the level of compliance in these places.
He however, warned that traders, who continue to sit at home from Monday, July 24, would lose their shops.
He assured that adequate security had been provided, noting that there had not been any incident of attack since he banned the sit-at-home in June.
The governor who interacted with business owners, shoppers, traders as well as civil servants at the State Secretariat, said: “It should never be heard that we were cowed because of the threat of violence by these criminals. the poverty that will befall us for sitting at home will kill us even faster. We are losing over N10billion every Monday that we sit at home. Enough is enough, this foolishness must end and it must end now. We cannot be marginalising ourselves and still complain of marginalisation.
“So, we must say no to sit-at-home because what it means is that we are destroying our employment, our economy, and our GDP. We must erase it from our memories. We should see it as our shameful past, which we do not want to remember. We must put it behind us and forge ahead, ensuring that we work every working day of the week.”
Addressing traders at Ogbete, Garki, and other markets, he said, “But you know, there are also consequences for not heeding our orders. Going forward, I want to put you on notice. I will go around the state again on Monday next week. We are going to come with the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority to put a seal on any shop that is found locked on Monday because of the illegal sit-at-home. We will take it that you are not ready to do business.
“We are going to revoke your license to operate. We will revoke your shop title and reallocate it to someone else, who is ready to do business. This is something we must enforce with effect from Monday next week.”
Responding to the Governor, the market leaders and business owners assured him that they were now ready for full compliance, saying they were already sick and tired of the Monday-sit-at home.
At Ogbete, the President of Enugu State Amalgamated Traders Association, Stephen Aniagu, assured the governor that they had already agreed to commence full business, saying all shops would be open from next Monday, same assurance was also given by the leader at Abakpa market, Bernard Anike.