Anambra State Government has beckoned on the Federal Government to explore bi-lateral diplomatic options to bring to an end the incessant Sit-at-hom orders issued by one Simon Ekpa, resident in the Finland.
Over the weekend, Ekpa had in faraway Finland, ordered a one-week sit-at-home in all Southeast region, allegedly to press home the demand for the immediate unconditional release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, beginning from Monday, 3rd July.
In parts of Anambra, many schools and businesses did not open on Monday and Tuesday, for fear of attack by armed enforcers of the order.
On Tuesday, a group of armed men attacked and shot at citizens, as well as burnt vehicles at Ishieke junction in Ebonyi State, for allegedly flouting the sit-at-home order.
Reacting to the development on behalf of the Anambra Government, the State Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu said the orders by Ekpa is anti-progress and negates the core values of industry, value for life and diligence, for which Ndigbo are known.
He called on the people to disregard the order and go about their lawful businesses.
“It has come to the attention of the Anambra State Government of a so-called “Public Service Announcement Sit-At-Home Order” signed by one Mazi Simon Ekpa, calling for a total lockdown in the Southeast from July 3 to July 10, 2023.
“This provocative call should be discarded by our people. Everybody in Anambra State and indeed the entire Southeast should go about their normal duties without paying any heed at all to the antics of the nefarious Mazi Simon Ekpa and his cohorts.
“We call on our market leaders, workers and the entire populace to discountenance the unenforceable dictates of these unserious groups led by the evil-minded Mazi Simon Ekpa who we understand is hibernating in faraway Finland.
“The government does not recognise any groups called “Biafra Republic Government In-Exile (BRGIE) and Biafra De Facto Government-In-Homeland”.
Nwosu noted that it amounts to efforts in futility “for these nebulous groups to order a total lockdown in the first instance from Monday, July 3 to Wednesday, July 5.
“We assure all our people to go about their normal duties without any fear whatsoever. The security agencies have been duly empowered to arrest and deal mercilessly with any deviants enforcing a breach of public peace.
“Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo’s drive to build a peaceful and prosperous homeland must not be countermanded by some cowardly hoodlums,” he said.
The Anambra Government Information Commissioner, while drawing the attention of the Federal Government to the disruption of economic activities by the incessant orders, requested the Central Government to seek diplomatic channels to deal with the matter.
“It is unfair that people will stay in another man’s land where they are enjoying good life and begin to make pronouncements that not only disrupt business activities but also putting the lives of the people at great risk.
“And that is why we are asking our people to disregard these orders and we have directed the security agencies to be on alert towards protecting the lives of our people,” Nwosu opined.
