Working days in Nigeria are six; from Monday to Friday. But in the Southeast of Nigeria, it is five days, with Mondays replaced by Tuesdays as the beginning of the working week. This is no thanks to the bloody activities of the separatist group known as the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, which has since decreed Mondays as sit-at-home days in the Southeast Region and following the enforcement with maximum force. This has led to many deaths and loss of property on the part of those deemed to have disobeyed the directive.
Thus, on Mondays, in most places, the roads become deserted as many stay back home, not of their own volition, but out of fear. In fact, the separatist group, knowing the impact of their threat, can now issue voice notes from wherever they are, threatening to attack people and everybody will run for dear life. Often, they walk their talk by carrying out attacks on members of the public and security agents. This has further put fear in the citizenry who basically have no support from the government.
While there had been a period when the fear of these felons seemed to have slowly been disappearing, lately, the fear has returned and the streets are now much more empty on Mondays.
This development is taking a great toll on the economic and social activities of the Southeast Zone. Mondays which ordinarily ought to be the major day of the week have now been relegated to the background as a day of forced rest. Schools are no more open on such days too, as parents and school managers fear for the safety of the pupils and students.
The attendant result is that students from the zone often miss out on important subjects during the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams. Of course, the examination body will never be bothered to sympathize with the Southeast Region as the exams are national. This means that students from the zone will keep on missing taking part in some of the exams. This is a big loss to the zone.
The hopelessness of the situation is that even if the people behind the sit-at-home directive decide to extend the directive to one more day, they will succeed. It has become this bad because the governments of the zone have failed to adequately secure their citizens.
In the light of this sad situation, we plead for reason to prevail on the part of the enforcers of this destructive directive, as it is something that is self-destructive.
Their insistence on carrying on with their action until their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, is released, loses sight of the fact that Kanu is neither being held by Southeast leaders nor being held in Igbo Land. Hence, any untoward action by this group will only be felt by their own people.
It is also clear that as long as the Federal Government, perceived by them as their enemy, does not feel the heat of the sit-at-home strike, the purpose of doing so will be in vain. As always observed, no one burns his house to show his enemy how angry he is.
The carnage being wrought on Igbo Land by the activities of this group should stop. This has brought chaos in the zone, with all manner of crimes now being committed.
If this sad situation goes on for a hundred years, it is the Southeast Zone that will continue to suffer. Freedom fighting does not mean killing one’s own people. We solicit for reason to prevail and pray that peace will return to the Southeast Zone sooner than later.
