Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has announced that his administration will impose penalties on schools, businesses, and financial institutions that complied with the recent two-day sit-at-home order issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The Governor expressed concern over the economic impact of the shutdown and emphasized that the state would not tolerate any disruption to economic activities.
Speaking through the Secretary to the State Government, Chidiebere Onyia, the Governor’s stance was made clear during a joint press conference held on Monday. The conference followed an inspection tour of schools, businesses, banks, and markets across the state.
The inspection team included senior security officials such as Brigadier-General Steven Dogo of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Theresa Egbunu, Director of the Department of State Services in Enugu, and the Enugu State Police Commissioner, Anayo Uzuegbu.
Onyia made it clear that the government’s directive was to ensure that no school or business should comply with the illegal sit-at-home order, which had been declared by Simeon Ekpa, a factional leader of IPOB.
Ekpa had called for a sit-at-home across the entire South-East region for Monday and Tuesday. In response, Onyia warned that both public and private institutions that failed to operate as usual on Monday would face strict sanctions.
“This also applies to markets, businesses, financial institutions and the rest of them. We insist on zero compliance to an illegal directive,” Onyia stated.
The sit-at-home orders, which have been issued repeatedly in recent years, have caused significant economic disruptions across the South-East, especially in Enugu. Despite the government’s opposition, parts of the region experienced a partial economic shutdown on Monday, as many businesses, markets, and schools remained closed.
