Sit-At-Home: Obiano, IPOB Flex Muscle - Governor orders civil servant to offices or risk sack -Police assures of security

 

Tomorrows’s sit at home order by the leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) may have caused ripples in Anambra State as the state Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, has reportedly ordered civil servants in the state to shun the exercise.

The governor in a three paragraphs statement meant for the state work force on Tuesday, which was obtained by the media in Awka, while speaking through the Head of Service (HoS), Harry Udu, pointedly informed workers that after the democracy day celebration, work was expected to commence in full force.

The HoS in the short memo directed permanent secretaries and heads of ministries, agencies and parastatals to direct their subordinates to come to work.

The memo read: "The Governor of  Anambra State has directed that work resumes on May 30 after the public holiday on May 29.

“All public servants must therefore report to their duty posts on Wednesday and the rest of the week. Permanent Secretaries and Heads of MDAs should monitor and report compliance unfailingly. Please circulate to all your staff."

Though the memo failed to mention the sit-at-home order by IPOB, a source told the media that the directive was meant to weaken the IPOB order.

But IPOB, the secessionist group, has further reiterated their commitment to ensuring that its order was carried.

A statement by the Deputy leader of IPOB, Uche Mefor, titled: ‘30th May Sit At Home is about respecting those who fought and died for your freedom’, said it has sent out canvassers to interior villages of Biafra land to sensitise the people on the need to obey the order, and have gotten favourable response that compliance would be high.

According to the statement, "The past few days have witnessed a remarkable public interest in the symbolism of the  May 30 Biafra Remembrance, particularly the Sit-at-Home order. May 30 is just one day in 366 days but it represents an enduring epitaph that recalls many great feats, struggles and tribulations. It is about the greatest collective self-defence against a genocide that lasted four years from 1966 to 1970.

"It is about remembering and honoring those who fought valiantly against that genocide, and those who could not make their way safely to the East as they succumbed to the sheer numbers and bloodlust of their supposed northern compatriots who sought their gruesome death for nothing except for jealousy and speaking a different tongue.

"May 30 does not just remind us of the sacrifice of the soldiers, sailors and airmen of the great Biafran resistance of 1967 to 1970, but also of those who followed them in later conflicts-those who in this era, stepped out to the streets of Igweocha, Onitsha, Aba, among others to protest the resurgence of evil, those who were murdered at the night vigil in Aba, those who were mowed down at Nkpor, and those who, more recently, lost their precious young lives at various locations in Biafraland, including at Afara-Ukwu, Umuahia.

"Particularly with this year’s Sit-at-Home, as we rue our fate as a people and remember those who have died in the course of freedom, we must think of those they left behind - their families and their friends. We must also remember those that are missing since 2015, those in illegal detentions and those that have stepped forward to speak out, to lead; and despite the great dangers ahead, have stayed the course.”

Meanwhile, the police in Anambra State has denied reports that members of the IPOB marched through the streets of Onitsha last Monday to sensitise residents of the order.

A statement by the state police public relations officer, Haruna Mohammed, said the report was false, and could not have happened in Onitsha as its men have long been on the lookout for members of the group since they were outlawed.