Enugu Traders Risk Losing Shops For Complying With Sit-At-Home Today

There are indications that many shop owners will have their shops revoked today in Enugu State for their failure to open for businesses.

Mondays have been observed as sit-at-home in Southeast states since 2021 following the arrest and detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in Kenya and his subsequent rendition to Nigeria. His faithful declared sit-at-home to pressure his release.

The Enugu State governor, Mr Peter Mbah, ordered the resumption of businesses in the state on Mondays, describing the continued sit-at-home as wastful to the state, individuals and corporate bodies. He had invited some stakeholders and informed them to call off the order.

Despite his assurances of security, the compliance with his directive has recorded little success as motorists, shops, banks, schools, filling stations and other businesses have not been optimally functional since the campaign.

Chidebere Onyia, the secretary to the state government, in a statement, threatened to revoke licences of corporate bodies and shops of traders that do not open on Mondays.

According to him, “Any shop that is not open for business with effect from July 24, 2023 will be sealed and re-allocated to some other persons who are willing to do businesses or have their licences revoked in the case of corporate bodies.

“This notice serves as a final warning to all shop owners or corporate bodies who are yet to comply with this directive.”

A survey conducted by THE WHISTLER early Monday morning shows absence of vehicular movements, private schools shut, as well as shops under lock and key.

A trader, Chidebere Eze, said, “I may open if I hear that others are opening. The problem is that even if you open, nobody comes to buy. It is no more about IPOB, but frustration. The recent hike in prices of petroleum products makes even moving around expensive. So going to shop is expensive for me.”

A school owner at Uwani, Pauline Ezea, said, “You don’t expect me to risk lives of my pupils. We now teach on Saturdays to make up. Let them bring Kanu out, let’s see if this won’t end.”

A commentator, Maureen Ekwe, said, “People think Kanu’s release is being sabotaged by Igbo leaders. It’s true that we lose a lot in terms of economic activities and gains, but many feel the sacrifices are worth it.”