To commemorate the death of soldiers who died fighting for Biafra during the Nigeria Civil War, the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOD), a group that agitates self-determination ordered a sit-at-home action on May 30 in order to remember Biafra’s fallen heroes. SUNNY NWANKWO reports that residents of Aba have been brooding over economic losses incurred while observing the order.
Apart from Lagos State, Abia is one of the states in the country where many analysts believe can run its economy through the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) it raked from markets and other commercial and economic transactions without necessarily depending on the monthly allocations from the Federal Government for the running of the state.
Recall that since the inception of the Okezie Ikpeazu-led administration, there has been massive campaign on Aba-made leather and garment wears. The government has equally gone ahead to woo international investors to and invest in the state, a step that even spurred the Federal Government to endorse the proposed Enyimba Economic City to be sited in three local government areas of Ugwunagbo, Ukwa East and Ukwa West.
However, while these and other efforts were being made by both the federal and state governments, the economy of the commercial town was, on May 30, shutdown following the sit-at-home order by the IPOB. The day was used to observe and remember those who died during the Nigeria Civil War.
Heads of various security agencies, including Abia State Commissioner of Police, Eneh Okon had promised watertight security in Aba and other major towns. They urged people to go about their legitimate businesses as security agencies would treat anyone threatening the existing peace as terrorists. Despite this assurance, residents, including operators of various educational and commercial institutions stayed away from their business premises. Government workers also didn’t go to work that day.
The usual hustling and bustling that Aba is known for suddenly disappeared on May 30. The usual gridlock on major roads, including Aba-Owerri Expressway, Aba-Ikot Ekpene Expressway, Okigwe, Faulks and Azikiwe, among other roads that host various articulated vehicles were devoid of deafening honking from cars.
For the security agents, they did all they could to ensure that the state was peaceful and lives and properties were not destroyed. They were happy that they were able to put IPOB and their adherents in check.
But far from the thinking of the police and other security agencies, the agitators were happy that despite the efforts of the security agencies to prevent the day’s event, it eventually held.
Our reporter, who monitored the compliance of Abians to the IPOB sit-at-home order in Aba and Umuahia, the state capital observed that while residents of Umuahia observed the orders of the IPOB partially, there was total compliance to the order in Aba.
While gates of major entrances to Ariaria International Market, Aba was open for traders and their prospective customers, shop owners and their customers ignored the assurances by security agencies in Abia State. They stayed away from the market.
Further checks, however, show that gates of other markets, including Cemetery, Ahia Ohuru, Shopping Centre, among others were locked.
Operatives of various security agencies were spotted at strategic locations, including Azikiwe Road by Asa, Bata Junction, Umuele by Faulks Road in the two cities to forestall any breach of peace by any person or group of people who may wish to cash in on the situation to cause breakdown of law and order.
Some eateries, financial institutions, including public and private along Aba-Owerri Road, Ikot Ekpene Expressway, Okigwe Road, among others were carrying out skeletal services, while the roads known for their bustling and hustling were devoid of human and vehicular traffic.
A student of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba who identified himself as Godwin told our reporter that the institution had to shift their examinations which they were supposed to begin penultimate Thursday to a future date.
Speaking on the sit-at-home order and compliance by Abians, a member of IPOB who identified himself as Bright said: “The compliance to the sit-at-home by residents of Aba was a clear indication that the people of the commercial city were behind the struggle towards the emancipation of the people of the Old Eastern Region.
“By June 12, there is going to be a public holiday for one man and nothing is being done to remember and immortalise over one million lives that died while struggling for their emancipation.
“Look at Rwanda today; they have come to a roundtable to discuss. They have put their past behind and have resolved to move ahead. Why does the Federal Government refuse the call for referendum where we will discuss issues bordering on unity and oneness of Nigeria and how to move forward as a people?
“We must agree to stay together or go our separate ways. No man should stay in his house to detect for us what we should do. What are they afraid of and why are they afraid of it? It simply means that they have something that they don’t want people to know about. Why did they stop teaching of history in schools? It is a means that they used to stop the younger ones from knowing their history.
“The realisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra is a struggle that only God can stop. No amount of propaganda by the Federal Government or its agents would dissuade our struggle for the emancipation of our people.”
A security agent who spoke to our reporter said they were all out to ensure that there was peace and that no one capitalises on the sit-at-home directive to make the state uncomfortable and unconducive to residents and visitors.
However, beyond the statement from the leadership of IPOB and security agents, analysts have expressed worries over the economic loss the state recorded as a result of the sit-at-home action.
According to Sam Offor, an economist, the economic loss suffered by government and private organisation is unquantifiable, stressing that the worst hit is the Small and Medium Scale industry.
Some of the traders equally lamented the huge loss they suffered as a result of their compliance to the sit-at-home directive.
Speaking to our reporter, Josiah Umekwe, a businessman, who said he makes an average of N500, 000 daily said the economic loss suffered by the state government and private individuals amounts to millions of naira.
He said: “I would have gone to open my shop that morning but for the fear of the unknown. When I later sent my boys to attend to a customer who came from Cameroun without the knowledge of the sit-at-home order, they came back with about N300, 000.
“By and large, the IPOB sit-at-home was a big loss to the Aba business community.”
For a member of staff of a commercial bank in Aba that spoke in confidence for security reasons, the sit-at-home order is something that government at federal and state levels should do everything to stop because it does more harm than good to their businesses.
“Umuahia, the state capital, is more of civil servant-dominated area. But Aba is the economic base of the state. Our economic loss on that particular action of the IPOB cannot be recovered.
“Even though we asked some customers to go to Umuahia where there was full scale operation, yet, our branch in Umuahia couldn’t make one-quarter of what we made. So, the economic loss is huge.”
