By Olisemeka Sony
Anambra State Government has dismissed the one-week Sit-at-Home and lockdown of the South East region announced by a faction of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) led by Simon Ekpa.
The Chukwuma Soludo led government, also urged residents of the state to disregard the latest lockdown order by the Biafra agitators and go about their normal business.
The state Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu, in a statement on Monday said the people should not pay attention to Simon Ekpa who issued the announcement.
The statement said, “It has come to the attention of the Anambra State Government of a so-called ‘Public Service Announcement Sit-At-Home Order’ signed by one Mazi Simon Ekpa calling for a total lockdown in the Southeast from July 3 to July 10, 2023.
“This provocative call should be discarded by our people. Everybody in Anambra State and indeed the entire Southeast should go about their normal duties without paying any heed at all to the antics of the nefarious Mazi Simon Ekpa and his cohorts.
“The government does not recognise any groups called ‘Biafra Republic Government In-Exile (BRGIE) and Biafra De Facto Government-In-Homeland’.
“It amounts to efforts in futility for these nebulous groups to order a total lockdown in the first instance from Monday, July 3 to Wednesday, July 5.
“We call on our market leaders, workers and the entire populace to discountenance the unenforceable dictates of these unserious groups led by the evil-minded Mazi Simon Ekpa who we understand is hibernating in faraway Finland.
“We assure all our people to go about their normal duties without any fear whatsoever.”
According to the commissioner, security personnel have been empowered to arrest anyone enforcing the sit-at-home notice.
“The security agencies have been duly empowered to arrest and deal mercilessly with any deviants enforcing a breach of public peace.
“Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo’s drive to build a peaceful and prosperous homeland must not be countermanded by some cowardly hoodlums,” the statement added.
