Tinubu’s silence on S’East economic haemorrhage disturbing, says HURIWA
Enugu residents took to the streets yesterday, in protest against the continued Monday sit-at-home in the state, expressing support for Governor Peter Mbah to end the illegal exercise.
Mbah had on June 5 banned the observance of sit-at-home in the state, urging residents to go about their legitimate duties on Mondays and other days. He had also stepped up security around the state.
The governor had threatened to sanction businesses and institutions that refused to open yesterday.
However, as early as 8:00 a.m., residents, under the auspices of Coalition of Civil Society groups, gathered and marched round the state to encourage people to return to their Monday businesses.
Led by their coordinators, Oninye Mammah, Bismark Oji, Charles Ogbu, Eberechukwu Anigbo and Amaka Nweke, they carried banners with inscriptions, “Enough Is Enough;” “Say No To Sit-At-Home In Enugu;” “Enugu People Must Be Freed From The Shackles Of Those Who Want To Hold It Down;” “We are tired of Monday sit-at-home,” among others.
The protesters, who took off from the Michael Okpara Square, moved through the Presidential Road, Ogui Road, Ogbete Main Market, Okpara Avenue, Garden Avenue, New Haven, Bisaala Road and returned to Okpara Square.
They received assurances from the people to support the state government’s quest to end the sit-at-home malady. Some closed businesses had to open to show solidarity with the protesters.
Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Enugu State chapter, Rev. Emmanuel Ede, who was part of the march, described it as “heart warning,” saying it was an indication that residents were no longer comfortable with the forced sit-at-home.
Apparently in response to the fresh order by Mbah to seal businesses that refused to open yesterday, there were full socio-economic activities in major markets across the state.
This was as officials of the Enugu State Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) moved round parts of the state and sealed businesses that refused to open in compliance with the governor’s earlier directive.
IN a similar development, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), yesterday, described, as disturbing, the silence of President Bola Tinubu on the continuous economic haemorrhage in the South-east occasioned by the heightened insecurity in the region.
The group also described as illegal the sit-at-home being enforced by some Biafra agitators, especially those led by Finland-based Simon Ekpa.
HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, urged the President to fulfill his campaign promise to dialogue with agitators, including the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), as a way of restoring peace in the country, especially in the South East.
The group urged Tinubu not to follow the path of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, who refused to free detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, despite an Appeal Court judgement granting him freedom.
