Address Insecurity Before Forcing Workers To Resume On Mondays, Anambra Residents Tell Soludo

Some residents of Awka in Anambra State, Sunday, advised Gov Charles Soludo to address insecurity across the state before ordering civil servants to quit observing sit-at-home orders on Monday.

Ezekiel Odumegwu, a civil servant, told THE WHISTLER that, “It goes beyond ordering the workers not to observe the sit-at-home orders on Mondays.

“He should first re-energise community policing in the state. Human lives are sacrosanct. Nobody is happy to sit at home on Mondays, but what do we do when even security operatives are being killed by unknown gunmen.”

Othniel Maduakor said, “The group that instituted sit-at-home claims the exercise has been hijacked. What has our new governor done to engage whoever is behind the killings?

“If Nnamdi Kanu’s faithful claim they are not behind Monday attrocities, Ndi Anambra want to know how they will be protected on Mondays. We should not be made scape-goats.”

A security expert, Cajetan Odo, advised Soludo to be careful in handling the matter.

In his words, “One, he should ensure that the police, military, civil defence and community vigilantes are visible on Mondays. It will reassure the public of their security.

“Traders should also be encouraged to have independent security operatives working in synergy with conventional security agencies. Minus that, Soludo might be endangering lives of Ndi Anambra.”

Our correspondent reports that Prof Soludo, last Thursday, directed workers in the state to resume work on Mondays.

Mondays are being observed as sit-at-home in South-East states, except Ebonyi, on the orders of the Indigenous People of Biafra as a ploy to enforce the release of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Kanu is being detained by the Department of State Service. He is facing trials on treason, running a proscribed group and jumping bail.

IPOB had earlier cancelled the sit-at-home. Its spokesman, Emma Powerful, had said it would only be observed on days Mazi Kanu would be arraigned in court.

However, there have been cases of killing, burning of property among other crimes on Mondays.