Governor Peter Mbah says his administration will sanction schools and businesses that were obeying ongoing two-day sit-at-home declared by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra.
Chidiebere Onyia, the secretary to the state government, stated this at a joint press conference addressed by the government and security chiefs after a tour of schools, businesses, financial institutions, and markets in Enugu on Monday.
The security chiefs are the garrison commander, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General Steven Dogo; and director of the State Security Service in Enugu, Theresa Egbunu, the police commissioner in Enugu, CP Anayo Uzuegbu.
The factional Leader of IPOB, Simeon Ekpa, declared Monday and Tuesday sit-at-home in the entire South-East.
Mr Onyia said that for those teachers and private or public schools that had decided not to show up to school on Monday, the Enugu government, as a policy, would ensure that they are sanctioned adequately.
“This also applies to markets, businesses, financial institutions and the rest of them. We insist on zero compliance to an illegal directive,” Mr Onyia said.
He commended people of the state for resisting the sit-at-home warning by people they described as “enemies of progress,” saying they had shown that Enugu had since gone beyond that stage.
“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 grow 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.
“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,” he said.
Mr Onyia assured that the government would ensure more security presence if only to reassure the people, stressing that the government would visit sanctions on schools, markets, and institutions that defy the ban on sit-at-home.
(NAN)