Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi has vowed to confiscate shops owned by traders in the state who will not open up for businesses on Monday in obedience to the sit-at-home order by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Umahi equally ordered the immediate sacking of civil servants who fail to show up at work on Monday, and called on security chiefs in the South-East zone to deploy security officers to streets to avert the breakdown of law and order.
The Chairman of Southeast Governors Forum gave the order while addressing members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders emergency meeting that took place at the ecumenical centre, Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital, on Sunday.
Umahi said the exercise if not stopped by the five governors of the zone will cripple economic development and pursue investors from the region.
He said, “Any trader that does not open up their shops for businesses will be taken over by the government. South-East region is gradually being destroyed by IPOB sit-at-home. We have to fight it. We have to say no to that.
“You have to listen to me. A lot of federal agencies have placed Ebonyi state on red alert. I give you an example, it took me going to Abuja to convince the aviation industry to do some approval to our airport.
“South-East is under red alert as a result of IPOB sit-at-home and it is out of foolishness.
“Many civil servants did not go to work, we decided not to pay them, but the spirit of God prevailed and we forgave everybody. But tomorrow’s own, anybody that fails to go to work, will definitely cease to be a civil servant in Ebonyi.”
Recall that IPOB had reviewed its sit-at-home order in the South-East, saying it will only be observed on days their leader, Nnamdi Kanu will appear in court. Before now, the directive was that the sit-at-down, tagged Ghost Monday, would be observed every Monday.
However, IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, said the review of the exercise is due to a “direct order” from Kanu to that effect. But on August 16, many areas in the South East region were deserted despite the review of the sit-at-home order and the trend continued till date.
