Enugu Roads Deserted, Schools, Businesses Shut Despite Sit-at-home Ban
Despite Governor Peter Mbah’s ban on illegal Monday sit-at-home in Enugu State, major streets and highways are completely deserted.
Monday’s sit-at-home protest against the continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, which had since started to fizzle out, has now been reinforced following the state government ban on sit-at-home.
Governor Mbah had banned Monday sit-at-home in the state, last week. Consequently, on Saturday, he issued threats to close schools, markets and transport units, and businesses that failed to open for business and academic activities on Monday, June 5, 2023, and thereafter.
Despite the threats, the people have instead reinforced the sit-at-home as they deserted streets and major roads.
Although, there was a presence of security agents in various strategic places. Also, surveillance aircraft were hovering around the state capital and some major flashpoints in the past, yet the people still deserted the roads.
On a visit to Holy Ghost, Old Park, Garrik, Emene, Eke-Obinagu, Abakpa and Zik Avenue, it was observed that roads were totally deserted as of 7:30 a.m. on Monday morning.
Schools both within the city centre and on the outskirts of the state capital were shut while filling stations were also shut. In the Holy Ghost area, all transport companies were totally closed. At Old Orie Emene, Abakpa and Garrik commuters deserted roads.
However, expectedly, there were few buses and tricycle operators plying the road, especially on New Haven and Ogui roads but no passengers to carry. Some private vehicles were also seen plying the road, especially those going to hospitals or hospital workers.
Some people who spoke to our correspondent blamed the governor for pulling the people back to the situation they had started to forget.
Mr. Chinedu Okechi said, “You see the governor’s open ban and subsequent threats to close markets, parks, and schools that have reinforced Monday sit-at-home. People are now viewing it as there is a rift going on or that he was planted in the state by outside forces to do their bidding.
“He has just exhibited his ignorance about the sit-at-home. Today Peter Mbah remembered MNK (Mazi Nnamdi Kanu) only because there’s sit-at-home!”
However, at 11 a.m., some people started coming out after news went out that Governor Mbah was moving around monitoring compliance with his directives.
In a statement issued after the monitoring, the governor’s media team quoted Mbah as having commended civil servants, transporters, the business community, and other institutions in the state for the significant compliance with the government’s directive ending the Monday sit-at-home order.
