Governor Peter Mbah has revealed that his government would impose sanctions on companies and educational institutions that are complying with the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra’s two-day sit-at-home order.
Following a tour of Enugu’s markets, businesses, financial institutions, and schools on Monday, the state government’s secretary, Chidiebere Onyia, made this statement at a joint news conference with the security chiefs.
Brigadier-General Steven Dogo, the garrison commander of the Nigerian Army’s 82 Division, Theresa Egbunu, the director of the State Security Service in Enugu, and CP Anayo Uzuegbu, the city’s police commissioner, are the security leaders.
Simeon Ekpa, the IPOB division leader, announced a sit-at-home policy for the whole South-East on Monday and Tuesday.
According to Onyia, the Enugu government would, as a rule, make sure that teachers and public or private schools that chose not to report to class on Monday receive the proper sanctions.
“This also applies to markets, businesses, financial institutions and the rest of them. We insist on zero compliance to an illegal directive,” Onyia said.
He praised the state’s citizens for defying the sit-at-home warning issued by those they characterised as “enemies of progress,” claiming that Enugu had subsequently progressed past that point.
“Enugu is open for business and Enugu is fully engaged in assuring that private sector actors feel very comfortable coming into Enugu. So, we will not tolerate non-state actors trying to act in defiance of our clear approach to growing our economy.
“What is also important is that under this governor and government, there has been no incident on any Monday from the day the governor cancelled the illegal sit-at-home.
“Because we heard the rumours of an illegal sit-at-home directive by non-state actors, the security forces and the state government decided to move around the state to ensure that people feel safe,” he said.
Onyia emphasised that the government will visit consequences on schools, markets, and institutions that violated the sit-at-home prohibition and promised to increase security presence if only to comfort the populace.