IPOB Sit-at-home order: Anambra, Imo govts blow hot

By Gabriel Atumeyi

365Daily – The governments of  Imo and Anambra States have threatened to deal with workers who obey the sit-at-home order issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

They, therefore, urged residents to go about their activities without fear of harassment.

The Anambra State government warned that it would not pay August salary to any worker who fails to show up at work on Monday in compliance with the IPOB order.

It, in a statement issued by the Head of Service, Barry Harry Uduh, on Sunday, August 8, 2021, directed Commissioners and Permanent Secretaries to monitor the situation and report accordingly.

The announcement reads: “The Government of Anambra State has directed that all workers in the State must attend to their duties on Monday 9th August 2021 as failure to do so will result in severe sanctions including loss of salary for the month of August.

“All Hon. Commissioners and Permanent Secretaries are to monitor and report compliance please. Kindly give this information the widest publicity in your establishment.”

Its Imo counterpart, on the other hand, has vowed to deal with such workers according to the provisions of the Civil Service General Order.

A statement issued by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Mbadiwe Emelumba, noted that the state had not declared Monday, August 9, 2021, as a public holiday and that any worker who absented himself or herself from work on Monday would be punished according to the civil service rules.

Emelumba further enjoined residents of the state and ”all Imolites” to go about their normal legitimate duties on Monday without any kind of molestation or harassment.

Recall that IPOB had issued an order declaring every Monday a sit-at-home day from August 9 until its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, is released from the detention of the Department of State Services.

However, the police and state governments have asked the people to go about their business, assuring them of safety, stating that they would not condone any act of intimidation from IPOB, a proscribed secessionist group.

Kanu, who was rearrested in June in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria, is facing a treasonable felony offence.

During a resumed hearing of his case at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, his matter was adjourned till October 21 following the failure of the DSS to produce him in court.

IPOB, in a statement by the group’s Media and Public Secretary, Emma Powerful, on Friday, said, “We the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra wish to announce to all Biafra citizens, friends of Biafra and lovers of Biafra freedom and independence that IPOB leadership has declared every Monday ‘a ghost Monday.’

“This declaration takes effect from Monday, August 9, 2021. From that day, Biafra land will be on lockdown every Monday from 6am to 6pm until our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who was unlawfully abducted in Kenya and illegally detained by the Federal Government of Nigeria, is released.

“DSS should know that if anything untoward happens to him, we are going to confirm what IPOB is made of and they will understand that we are prepared for this freedom. Our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is not a criminal and has the right to be visited in custody.

“We declare every Monday a sit-at-home day throughout Biafra land until our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu regains his freedom. The Federal Government must allow him access to his personal physicians, and allow him to sign documents given to him by the British Government to provide him consular assistance. This peaceful protest will continue once every week until our demands are met.”

The group added, “Consequently, all institutions (public and private), transport companies, schools, banks, markets, airports and seaports in Biafra land must shut down every Monday beginning from August 9. People are to remain indoors to register their concern over the fate of our leader and the rest of all agitators languishing in various security detentions.”

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