Onitsha traders lament the cost of Ipob's weekly shutdown every Monday on their businesses

LOCAL Onitsha traders are counting the cost of today's sit-at-home order called by the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) to protest the arrest of its leader Nnamdi Kanu saying the ongoing shutdowns are becoming too expensive.

Following the arrest of Ipob leader Nnamdi Kanu in Kenya and his arraignment before an Abuja court, his supporters have called for sit-at-home protests across the southeast geo-political zone. These protests are to take place every Monday, and the Eastern Security Network (ESN), Ipob's armed wing, is always out and about every week to ensure compliance.

Today, although Ipob had suspended the order, across Onitsha, schools, markets, banks, offices and motor parks were shut, while major roads were deserted. School children were seen playing football on the streets as people gathered around their business premises without opening, while banks also remained shut.

Some local residents lamented the devastating effect of the exercise on their means of livelihood and called for it to end as the Christmas season approaches. Chief Osita Udeh, the chairman of the Ngbuka Obosi Market Association, said that although Ipob had reversed the order, inadequate  security, a lack of awareness and fear of attack, had made the people to continue to observe it.

Chief Udeh added: “Onitsha is the commercial centre of Anambra and the continued closure of commercial activities every Monday is having a huge effect on the state. We are losing income running into hundreds of millions of naira which is not good enough.”

Celine Chigbu, the women leader of the Onitsha Main Market Association, said: “This Monday sit-at-home is affecting income generation. Monday is a serious day for commercial activities because people come from outside the state, so if the government provides adequate security, maybe people will have the confidence to come out.”

Don Adinuba, the Anambra State information commissioner, said there was no sit-at-home today, however, as the government had told the people to go about their lawful businesses. He added that the government has told the people to ignore the sit-at-home order but if the citizens of Onitsha decide to do otherwise, there is nothing the government can do.