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Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has warned that any traders who observe the sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra in the state would lose their shops and licences.
The governor issued the warning while touring some parts of Enugu, the state capital on Monday, July 17, 2023, to monitor people’s compliance with his ban on IPOB’s sit-at-home order.
It would be recalled that a few days after his assumption of office, Governor Mbah asked schools and businesses to quit observing sit-at-home directives.
“This is to inform all schools, markets, retail outlets, hospitals, transporters, malls and the general members of the public that, in view of the recent ban/cancellation of Mondays’ sit-at-home by the government of Enugu state, in all nooks and crannies of the state, they have been directed to go about their normal businesses and activities every day of the week, including Mondays,” the governor had said in a statement.
While addressing traders at Ogbete, Garki, and other markets yesterday, the governor said that his administration would no longer condone locking of shops on Mondays.
He said, “It should never be heard that we were cowed because of the threat of violence by these criminals.”
He said the poverty that would befall the people of the state for sitting at home would kill them even faster because the state according to him loses over ₦10 billion every Monday when they observe the order.
“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,” Mbah said.
Market leaders and business owners have assured the governor that they would comply with the governor’s ban on IPOB’s sit-at-home directive.