SIT AT HOME FAILED IN EBONYI STATE DUE TO STATE GOVERNMENT’S TOUGH STANCE-COMRADE CHIMA AJA
Abakiliki: The Monday Sit at Home which in the past few weeks seems to have become the “new normal” in the South East region failed to hold in Abakaliki and other parts of Ebonyi State today.
According to a social society Activist and the Executive Director, Development & Integrity Intervention Goal Foundation, Comrade Chima Oliver Aja, the State Government’s tough stance regarding the Sit at Home was a major reason for the failure of today’s exercise in Ebonyi State.
“The Ebonyi State Government’s tough stance on the issue such as threatening to sack civil servants who fail to go to work on Mondays made them to go to work as nobody wants to lose his/her job.
“Again, even those who are not civil servants are tired of staying at home, so they have to go out and earn their living because of hunger”.
Comrade Aja also noted that the cancelation of the exercise by the IPOB was another reason.
Unlike in other South East cities, schools opened in Ebonyi State, both private and public schools. The Abakaliki International Market and other markets in the state were as well open, although turn out was not heavy.
Across other South East states, there was varying levels of compliance with the exercise.
In Enugu, for instance, the roads were largely deserted, although tricycles and few mini buses plyed the roads. Ogbete and other markets did not open.
In Onitsha, Awka and other parts of Anambra, the exercise was largely successful as people stayed off the roads in order not to be caught in the spiraling violence in the state.
Economic activities were paralysed in Owerri and other parts of Imo State on Monday as banks, schools, shops and many markets failed to open for business.
The situation was largely the same in Abia, with most businesses shut down and vehicular traffic very minimal in Aba; Umuahia had a lower level of compliance.
