2nd August, 2023
By Monday Ajogun
Residents of Onitsha in Anambra on Wednesday went about their normal businesses in defiance of a two-week sit-at-home order by Simon Ekpa, a factional leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Ekpa, a self-acclaimed IPOB prime minister based in Finland, had in a video message ordered all residents of the South East to stay at home for two weeks as a protest to push for the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu by the Federal Government.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the people rather than obey the order, went about their normal businesses across the commercial city.
Mrs Agnes Igwe, a trader at Ochanja market, said that even the usual Monday sit-at-home protest has done them more harm than good, hitting their businesses badly and making them struggle to cope with life.
“Some of these traders engage in daily contributions to meet up with their savings, if they sit at home for two weeks what will be their hope?
“Nobody is talking about the two-week sit-at-home again, the people are trying to recover from their losses from staying indoors every Monday,” she added.
A commercial tricycle operator, Samuel Anyaorah, who plies Old Road to Nkpor junction, said there “is no way people will continue in this hardship for two weeks in the name of obeying an order from a man who is not based in our land.
“For how long are we going to continue like this? To survive even when hustling on a daily basis is hard, let alone when you now sit at home; how will someone survive this current hardship occasioned by fuel subsidy removal?
“We are suffering here, he is enjoying himself in Finland. If he’s serious about it, he should come and join us.”
A petty trader, Mrs Isioma Ogochukwu, said she depends on what she earns daily to survive and it would be suicidal for her to stay at home for two weeks as ordered by Ekpa.