AWKA – Some residents of Anambra have said the Indigenous People of Biafra’s (IPOB) sit-at-home order is emasculating the economy of eastern part of the country thereby impoverishing the people.
They said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Awka on Monday.
Mrs Ngozi Nwaude, a community leader in Enugwu-Ukwu, Njikoka Local Government Area, called on the leaders of group to adopt a persuasive approach to their their social mobilisation campaign.
She said by enforcing the sit-at-home order through the instrument of fear and intimidation, IPOB had become the enemy of many residents of the area.
She said it was unfortunate that a group that claimed to be involved in emancipation of the people would take actions that would inflict pain on the same populace.
She said IPOB had succeeded in causing panic and unnecessary hardship for travelers and called on the group to jettison their action and embrace peace through dialogue with relevant government agencies..
“I have to reschedule my flight to another date because I could not find my way to Asaba Airport.
Mrs Grace Anagor a petty trader said that the directive has turned to a joke taken too far because it was really damaging people’s sources of livelihood.
Anagor said that the worst hit was on the poor and elderly ones and urged all parties concerned to embrace dialogue for the sake of the common people.
Mr Ugochukwu Okigbo, a transporter described the situation as hopeless, saying it posed an economic threat to daily income earners.
Okigbo said described his journey from Asaba to Awka as “horrible’’ adding he once spent 12 hours on the journey that on a good day should last just some hours.
The IPOB had claimed its directive is in solidarity with Mr Nnamdi Kanu who is facing terrorism among other charges. (NAN).
