The Enugu State Government has said it would sanction schools and businesses that obey the two-day sit-at-home declared by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), 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 Garrison Commander, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General Steven Dogo; and State Director of the Department of State Services, Theresa Egbunu, the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Anayo Uzuegbu.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the factional Leader of IPOB, Simeon Ekpa, had declared Monday and Tuesday sit-at-home in the entire South-East.
Onyia said those teachers and private or public schools that had decided not to show up to school on Monday, the state government, as a policy, would ensure that they were sanctioned adequately.
“This also applies to markets, businesses, financial institutions and the rest of them. We insist on zero compliance to an illegal directive,” 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
The SSG disclosed that they went through different locations such as schools, markets, financial institutions, our civil service offices and were satisfied with the turnout of the people.
Onyia assured that government would ensure more security presence if only to reassure the people, stressing, however, that the government would visit sanctions on schools, markets, and institutions that defy the ban on sit-at-home.
Speaking on behalf of other security chiefs, Uzuegbu maintained that sit-at-home remained an aberration in Enugu State and reiterated the determination of the security agencies and the government to deal ruthlessly with troublemakers.
“So, on behalf of my colleagues, I want to assure the good people of Enugu that their security is guaranteed. Any action of a person or persons to jeopardise the peace of the state will be ruthlessly dealt with.
“The consequences are going to be very harsh,” Uzuegbu said.
(NAN)
