Stakeholders in Enugu State, on Saturday, endorsed the cancellation of Mondays sit-at-home order in the state, stating that the illegal order affects the economic activities in the state and will not be allowed to continue.
This was contained in a 12-point communique issued at the end of a Town Hall meeting with various stakeholders held on the cancellation of the Monday sit-at-home order in the state held at the Banquet Hall, Old Government Lodge.
The communique was jointly signed by Comrade Stephen Aniagu, President, Enugu State Amalgamated Traders Association , Comr. Barr. Fabian Nwigbo,Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Ben Asogwa,
Chairman, Trade Union Congress,Comrade Nweke Odoh T., Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Enugu State Chapter, Comrade Ebuka Okoh Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Enugu State Chapter, Mr. Paully Eze, Chairman, Association of Presidents-General, Enugu State, CP Ahmed Ammani, Commissioner of Police, Comr. Onyebuchi Igboke O
Chairman, Comr. Ugochukwu Anichukwu
National Association of Nigerian Students Chief Martins Asogwa
NURTW, Enugu State, Barr. Ugo Ferdinard Ugwueze, Coordinating Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, Enugu State,
Rev. Emmanuel O. Edeh
Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, Enugu State,
Comr. Monday Onwuka
Chairman, Tricycle Riders Association, HRH Amb. Lawrence Agubuzu
Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council,Most Revd Prof. Emmanuel Chukwuma
Bishop, Anglican Ecclesiastical Communion , Hon. Solomon Onah
Chairman, ALGON Enugu State, Prince Chiwetalu Nwatu, Coordinator, Financial Institutions in Enugu State, Hon. Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Ozioko
Chairperson, Nsukka Traders Association,
Jasper Onyeka
Chairman, Organised Labour, Sammy Ajufor
For the Media Community in Enugu State, Comrade Alor Edwin Ikechukwu
Chairman, Inter-Party Advisory Council, Enugu State and made available to newsmen read:
“Further to the meetings held by the Government of Enugu State with individual groups and stakeholders ahead of the ban of the Monday sit-at-home, stakeholders and representatives of various bodies, institutions, organisations, associations, including government officials and heads of security and intelligence agencies at the Old Government Lodge, Enugu, on Saturday, June 10, 2023 to further deliberate on the subject matter and the way forward.
After extensive and exhaustive deliberations at the town-hall meeting, which also had the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, and the Deputy Governor, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, in attendance, it was resolved:
1. That the decision of the Enugu State Government cancelling the Monday sit-at-home order considering that its detrimental impacts on productivity, investment flow, and the Igbo spirit of creativity, entrepreneurship and commerce is hereby endorsed by the town-hall.
2. That the town-hall commends the State Governor, His Excellency, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, on the laudable steps taken so far to ensure peace is returned to the state, which include his recent visit to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu; opening door for dialogue with those with genuine grievances.
3. That the town-hall reiterates the position of the State Government, and further appeals to the President to act on the governor’s request by releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and expedite the process of national healing, national integration and national reconciliation.
4. That the town-hall calls on the State Government to resuscitate, overhaul, rejig and strengthen internal security mechanisms such as the Community Policing, Neighbourhood Watch, Forest Guards, amongst others, in the state.
5. That the stakeholders and representatives of various groups at the town-hall meeting – traditional rulers, religious leaders, heads of institutions, corporate bodies, youth and students leaders, transport and market associations, etc. – shall educate and sensitize their members on the gains of ending the Monday sit-at-home and getting back to work.
6. That the security agencies should continue to work round the clock in order to reassure citizens and residents of their safety, not only on Mondays, but also on other days of the week.
7. That the town-hall proposes that the Government should procure special commercial city buses and taxies that will ply the routes beyond 9.00 pm when tricycle operators are prohibited from doing so.
9. That the town-hall supports any security measure or measures and other steps the State Government deems necessary in order to end the Monday sit-at-home and get people back to work in the overall interest of the state and its residents.
10. That the town-hall enjoins members of the public to resume work and go about their normal daily businesses as various security and intelligence agencies have, in their joint and collaborative efforts, given assurance(s) of their safety, including proactive responses to distress calls any time of the day.
11. That the town-hall urges members of the public to continue to support the government and security agencies by sharing vital information with them, including suspicious movements and gatherings by strange persons or groups of persons in any part of the state, including forests and borders.
12. That the town-hall urges persons and groups with genuine grievances to take the opportunity of dialogue offered by the Government of Enugu State to engage the government on their grievances to ensure lasting peace and security in the state.
SIGNATORIES
………………………
Comrade Stephen Aniagu
President, Enugu State Amalgamated
Traders Association
Comr. Barr. Fabian Nwigbo
Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress
Mr. Ben Asogwa
Chairman, Trade Union Congress
Comrade Nweke Odoh T.
Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Enugu State Chapter.
Comrade Ebuka Okoh
Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria
Enugu State Chapter.
Mr. Paully Eze
Chairman, Association of Presidents-General, Enugu State
CP Ahmed Ammani
Commissioner of Police
Comr. Onyebuchi Igboke O
Chairman, NGOs
Comr. Ugochukwu Anichukwu
National Association of Nigerian Students
Chief Martins Asogwa
NURTW, Enugu State
Barr. Ugo Ferdinard Ugwueze
Coordinating Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, Enugu State
Rev. Emmanuel O. Edeh
Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, Enugu State
Comr. Monday Onwuka
Chairman, Tricycle Riders Association
HRH Amb. Lawrence Agubuzu
Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council
Most Revd Prof. Emmanuel Chukwuma
Bishop, Anglican Ecclesiastical Communion
Hon. Solomon Onah
Chairman, ALGON Enugu State
Prince Chiwetalu Nwatu
Coordinator, Financial Institutions in Enugu State
Hon. Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Ozioko
Chairperson, Nsukka Traders Association
Jasper Onyeka
Chairman, Organised Labour
Sammy Ajufor
For the Media Community in Enugu State
Comrade Alor Edwin Ikechukwu
Chairman, Inter-Party Advisory Council, Enugu State
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police, Enugu Police Command, Ahmad Ammani, has assured the people of the state of adequate security, lamenting that the Southeast Region had lost a total of N5.375 trillion to the illegal sit-at-home order; with Enugu State alone losing N9.33 billion.
He urged residents to end Mondays sit -at- home and go about their businesses ,in support of Mbah’s cancellation of the illegal order.
He spoke at the town hall meeting.
Ammani, who spoke on behalf of the Heads of all the Security and Intelligence Agencies in the state, said the Town Hall, was convened for the actualization of His Excellency’s unequivocal declaration and fervent commitment to end the inconceivable illegal sit-at-home order.
” This Meeting is not just timely, but very expedient and consequential in the Security Agencies’ unwavering commitment to bring the lingering and ill-fated order in the State to an end” ,he said
He commended Mbah for taking a bold step to end the illegal sit-at-home.
“We sincerely want to thank His Excellency for his forthrightness, the decisive and bold steps he has so far taken towards reversing and completely bringing the ugly trend of the illegal sit-at-home order to an end.
We also wish to immensely appreciate and commend Your Excellency for adopting the kinetic and non-kinetic approaches in handling this situation, which we strongly believe is germane and timely in this wise.
The Commissioner of Police disclosed that through their collaborative efforts and commitment to ensure that the lives and property of the people are secured and protected, even as they go about their lawful businesses on the hitherto illegal sit-at-home days, the security agencies had collapsed their individual structures into one structure.
” By so doing, we have galvanized the personnel, operational and intelligence resources of the Agencies, and deployed them towards ensuring adequate security and safety of the people.
“Accordingly, we have mapped out and will continue to ensure the maximum deployment of the personnel and resources to strategic locations within Enugu Metropolis and beyond, while also ensuring intense visibility patrols of our nooks and crannies.This is in addition to the Air Force deploying aircraft to carry out air surveillance and reconnaissance.
“”We, therefore, urge our people not to panic due to the massive land and aerial deployments that will be observed on the hitherto illegal sit-at-home days and beyond, as all of this is aimed at building the right confidence in them as they go out and to ensure that those who may want to test our collective resolve to reverse this ugly trend are decisively dealt with.”, he said
Ammani called on the stakeholders and the entire citizens of the State, to continue to support the security agencied with credible information and the intelligence they require to tackle the situation
“This is even as we also call on you to talk to your subjects, particularly the young ones, who may have in time past allowed themselves to be used by those hell-bent on disrupting the peace and causing havoc on the lives and property of their brothers and sisters in the State, all in the name of enforcing the illegal order, to turn over a new leaf.
We also implore those may have succumbed to what has been termed the “Fear of the Unknown” to the illegal order, to have a rethink and revert back to going out on the illegal sit-at-home days to contribute their quota to the economic and social growth of our dear State.
“This has become necessary, given the report published on 6th January 2023, by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), which shows that the entire Southeast Region had lost a total of N5.375 trillion to the illegal Sit-at-home order; with Enugu State alone, losing N9.33 billion.
“This manner of loss, for an industrious and enterprising people like the citizens of our beloved State, is one we are very sure no one would genuinely want to see continue.
“To this end, while reminding us that security is everybody’s business, we wish to categorically state that we are prepared for this very important task and sincerely enjoin Ndi Enugu State to rise up to the occasion, make conscious and deliberate efforts to join us and support His Excellency, in his quest to stabilize the peace and security order, as well as reposition the State for economic, social and otherwise prosperity”, Ammani said.
