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.
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