The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Engr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has condemned the incessant calls for sit-at-home by Simon Ekpa even after Mazi Nnamdi Kanu had asked him to stop the calls.
In a statement he personally signed, Iwuanyanwu said the sit-at-home has cost people of the south-east trillions of naira.
Commenting on the impact of the orders, he said people of the southeast region have suffered untold hardship, with an estimated 250 deaths, as a result of the continuous orders.
“The sit-at-home order has been instilling fear and trepidation on the good people of the southeast, making it difficult for people to come out to transact their lawful businesses on the sit-at-home days,” the statement read.
“The southeast is noted for micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises, indigenous manufacturing, fabrication, and agro-allied industries.
“To this end, several authorities have put the losses encountered by the people of the southeast at trillions of naira on each sit-at-home day.
“It is saddening to see that Simon Ekpa has announced another two weeks sit-at-home in the southeast. This is unacceptable and must not be allowed to succeed in Igboland.
“A few days ago, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on whose behalf Ekpa claims to be working, directed the said Simon Ekpa to end all sit-at-home in the southeast and to stop antagonizing the governors of the southeast or politicians from the region.
“It is very disturbing that at a time the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide is engaging the Igbo entrepreneurs all over the world, on a think-home philosophy, a foreign-based Igbo is bent on destabilizing the home front.
“It is evident that the series of sit-at-home orders is affecting the social and economic life of the Igbo. Surely, it is not to the advantage of the Igbo.”
The president-general directed that “the sit-at-home in Igbo-land should be discountenanced. I, therefore, urge all the sons and daughters of Igbo-land to go about their lawful businesses.
“As a father, I hereby request Simon Ekpa and his group for a discussion and an opportunity to air their grievances.
“I urge the security operatives to exercise the highest degree of prudence in the discharge of their official duties to avoid further loss of innocent lives in Igboland.”
(NAN)
