The sit-at-home order of the Indigenous People of Biafra in the South-East started like a joke after the abduction and deportation of the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, from Kenya. It started as a way of protest against the federal government’s illegal deportation and detention of their leader.
Since the recent detention of Kanu, the sit-at-home order seems to have become a norm and part and parcel of the IPOB struggles. The sit-at-home exercise, since inception, has not augured well with the people of South-East, as it has claimed a lot of lives of innocent citizens and property in the crude efforts to enforce compliance by the people.
Also many lives of law enforcement agents have been lost in the several clashes between sit-at-home enforcers and law officers, while trying to discourage the compliance of the sit-at-home order. The order has many negative implications on both the socio-economic and political lives and activities of the people among other areas of endeavours.
Needless to say that the economic activities of the people have been badly affected, as every Monday and even some times up to four days of the week are wasted at home. All economic and other activities are usually paralyzed. Shops and market places are usually shut down throughout the day of the sit-at-home.
Social lives are always completely paralyzed, to such extend that even burial ceremonies and other such celebrations are hardly observed. The challenge got to a point that many wealthy lgbo people now celebrate burials and weddings in other towns and cities outside lgbo land due to fear.
Some hoodlums and criminals that have highjacked the IPOB sit-at-home exercise have transformed themselves into different names and are carrying out deadly attacks on the innocent citizens. These criminals, disguised as unknown gunmen, have been unleashing terrors on the people of South-East, using the name of IPOB, in order to discredit the group and the struggle for equity, fairness and justice.
The criminals always disguise as IPOB sit-at-home enforcers to kill and kidnap anybody that they come across. Aside paralyzing socio-economic activities of the people, careers and academic activities have been and still badly affected. Sometimes ago, students sitting for external examinations missed their papers as a result of the sit-at-home compliance..
Political activities are not left out of the frustration, as fears of attacka by unknown gunmen forbid political gatherings. At many occasions, there were reports of the gunmen invading political gatherings, abducted some people for ransom, while killing some without giving reasons. There are several videos of gunmen attacking and burning INEC offices and even invading INEC registration centres and shooting at people, and declaring that they would not allow any elections to hold in the South-East.
All these and many more have negative implications on the people of South-East, even as the 2023 general elections approach. The situation is calling for urgent attention, even as the federal government feels unconcerned.
The IPOB agitators need to be advised to seriously review their methods of agitation and operations so they don’t create more problems to the same people they want to win freedom for. Their think-tanks should constantly review their tactics and methods of operations. They should be able to constantly do checks and balances to know if their methods are yielding the desired results or counter-productive.
As it stands now, if something is not done urgently, the enemies of the zone will surely capitalize on the situation on ground to use them against the political interests of the South-East, especially with the growing influence of Mr Peter Obi among the Nigerian youths in particular. Mr Peter Obi, the candidate of the Labour Party, stands a chance of winning the 2023 presidential election and his growing popularity is also attracting envies from both enemies within and outside the South-East. Hence there’s urgent need to convey an Igbo leaders’ summit to open discussions and engage the youths of South-East and also IPOB members concerning the coming elections.
For the South-East leaders to pretend that all is well, or erroneously believe that nothing will happen is very dangerous for the Peter Obi candidacy. As Obi influence is growing, so also the enemies are busy plotting to scuttle his chances.
Anike is the national president of Eastern Union. He wrote from Alaigbo
