By Agency Report
Residents of Onitsha in Anambra State on Wednesday went about their normal businesses in defiance to a two-week sit-at-home order by Simon Ekpa, a factional leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Mr Ekpa, who is based in Finland and claimed to be IPOB prime minister, had in a video message ordered all residents of the South-east to stay home for two weeks, as a protest to push for the release of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, by the Federal Government.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the people did not obey the order, as they went about their businesses across the commercial city.
Agnes Igwe, a trader at Ochanja Market, said that even the usual Monday sit-at-home has seriously harmed businesses, making residents struggle to cope with life.
“Some of these traders engage in daily contributions to meet up with their savings, if they sit-at-home for two weeks what will be their hope?
“Nobody is talking about the two weeks sit-at-home again, the people are trying to recover from their losses from staying indoors every Monday,” she added.
A commercial tricycle operator, Samuel Anyaorah, who plies Old Road to Nkpor Junction, said there “is no way people will continue in this hardship for two weeks in the name of obeying an order from a man who is not based in our land.
“For how long are we going to continue like this? To survive even when hustling on a daily basis is hard, let alone when you now sit at home; how will someone survive this current hardship occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal.
“We are suffering here, he is enjoying himself in Finland. If he’s serious about it he should come and join us.”
A petty trader, Isioma Ogochukwu, said her survival depends on her daily earnings, and that it would be suicidal for her to stay at home for two weeks as ordered by Mr Ekpa.
(NAN)
