For the first time in many years, the sit-at-home order by promoters of Biafra Republic had a massive compliance across the South-East. However, the inherent support for the separatist groups debunked governors’ claims that they had quelled the movement, fueling apprehension on the next steps of the pro-Biafra groups, LAWRENCE NJOKU reports.
On May 30, Jane, a civil servant in the employment of Enugu State government, had waited over 30 minutes at the popular Igbariam Bus Stop, on Agbani Road, for a vehicle that could convey her to work.
Seeing that the road was deserted and her continuous wait would make her report for the day’s duty late, she decided to walk the over six kilometer distance to her office at Okpara Avenue. The government had forced the workers to report to duties that day or face sanctions.
Jane was not alone, several other workers, who could not find means of transportation that day, made it to their offices on foot. The scarcity of vehicles was due to the sit-at-home declared by agitators of Biafra Republic, to commemorate the death of Biafrans in the Nigeria/Biafra war fought between 1967 and 1970.
Elsewhere in the states of the South-East region, movements had been stalled as many residents deserted the roads. There were no markets. Banks, schools, and businesses were completely shut down.
Like Jane, those who had walked to their offices responded to the threat of sanction by the state government, who had ordered workers to either report for duties or regard their employment as over.
Indeed, sit-at-home directive by proponents of the Biafra Republic had neither been so successful nor gained the momentum that attended it last week, raising concerns about the popularity of the separatist groups in the region.
Besides, coming a day after the first anniversary of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration also speaks volume about what the government should expect in the hands of its promoters going forward.
Pro-Biafra agitators, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), among others had issued the directive, asking residents of the region to stay at home and close all commercial activities in all the five states in the southeast. They asked residents to observe the day to pray for the repose of the souls of Biafrans who paid the supreme prize in the Nigeria/Biafra civil war.
The groups had argued that the war represented part of the dark history of the Igbo people, as many Igbo were killed during their efforts to protect the republic of Biafra and the reintegration of the region back into Nigeria.
A day after the successful sit-at-home exercise, however, an elated Media and Publicity Secretary of the IPOB, Emma Powerful said: “This year’s Biafra heroes and heroines day was significant. At least an important message has been sent to our adversaries that the illegal detention of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, does not deter the resoluteness of IPOB and Biafrans for our freedom. IPOB is a state actor that is fully in control of Biafra territory.
“As we remember our fallen heroes and heroines, including IPOB members, who were killed, we do so reverently. Our message to Nigeria is never will Biafrans be slaughtered unchallenged again.
“IPOB uses this moment of sober reflection to call on governors in Biafraland to declare May 30 a public holiday to honour the Biafra fallen heroes from henceforth. The demand to honour the Biafra heroes and heroines with a public holiday is just a demand.
“Just like Southwest leaders pushed and immortalised Chief MKO Abiola with June 12 as democracy day and a holiday, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Igbo governors should be courageous enough to pursue the agenda to immortalise Biafra heroes with a public holiday. Until then, IPOB has declared May 30th of every year as Biafra heroes’ day, which must be observed by Biafrans at home and abroad.”
But are these reasons enough to elicit the level of deep compliance to sit-at-home order as witnessed last Thursday that shut down the economy of the South-East?
Could it be that the region was now poised to embrace Biafra Republic again and are now ready to work in unison with its proponents and agitators to realise the feat? Are the people now tilting towards a parallel government in the region? What other message is the zone attempting to send to the rest of the country by that exercise that defiled even counter directives of elected governors of the region?
Was the civil action communicating something about the leader of the IPOB, Kanu, who has been detained in the last three years by the federal government or an indication that the zone was not moved by the President Bola Tinubu-led administration? These and probably many other posers are agitating the minds since last week that the exercise was concluded.
Those asking the questions are doing so because sit-at-home had been discountenanced in the past or had long lost its potency such that states barely observed it. Apart from some towns in Anambra State, residents of other states had for long stopped observing sit-at-home order of the agitators.
For instance, in Enugu State, its government has ensured that workers and even businesses don’t reckon with directives from the Biafra agitators, especially on when not to go to work.
In fact, in an attempt to stop further Monday sit-at-home in the state, the Governor Peter Mbah-led administration had sanctioned some traders that refused to open their shops for activities in the state.
Mbah had undertaken various tours of the state to encourage residents to open their businesses on Monday, as well as held several dialogues to convince the people on why they should not accept further orders to sit-at-home.
In June last year, while declaring an end to sit-at-home in the state, he stated that such orders were restricting creativity, entrepreneurship, and productivity, adding that it was time to move forward and not remain in underdevelopment.
In Abia state, except in Aba, Monday sit-at-home is not observed anywhere in the state. Although Governor Alex Otti has been quiet about it, residents have not been responding to the call because they never did during the last administration of the state.
In Imo, workers in the state capital, as well as businesses have been effective every Monday. In Ebonyi the story is the same. In fact, immediate past governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, went to the extent of declaring that the state would never be part of Biafra”, stressing that, “if anybody tells you about Biafra, Ebonyi State will never be part of Biafra.”
Last year, Anambra State governor, Charles Soludo, had vowed that the state and its residents would not obey any illegal sit-at-home, adding that the imposition of sit-at-home by unauthorised individuals or groups “is a clear violation of the law.”
However, the sudden change of mind of the people to obey the call of the Biafra agitators last week Monday, must have proved wrong, the governors that they quenched the fire of agitations in their various states.
Proffering further reasons on why the sit-at-home gained deep compliance, a lawyer, David Onuogu, told The Guardian that it was an indication that the people are not happy with the governments at the states and federal-level.
“What they simply said by their reciprocity to the sit-at-home order is that they are tired of what our leaders are doing – the level of injustice in the land, corruption, hunger and pain. President Tinubu, he is not showing any sign that South-East is part of his agenda.
“I am yet to pinpoint any developmental effort he has started in the Southeast. Our governors are not any better as they are using tax to further create pain for the people. It is just a sign of things that will unfold soon,” he stated.
A member of the 2014 National Conference, Ibuchukwu Ezike, while agreeing with Onuogu added that the non-violence posture of the agitation, which its promoters embraced since 2017 when the late Chancellor of the Eastern Mandate Union (EMU) and Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Dr Arthur Agwuncha Nwankwo, convened a meeting of all the pro-Biafran Movements in Enugu has helped the cause.
“At that crucial meeting, Nwankwo in his address, urged the pro-Biafran Movements to suspend their violent posture in the campaign for an own Republic and adopt a non-violence attitude that would draw both domestic, national, international sympathy and support.”
He decried a situation where the federal government would have killed all the young men and women fighting the struggle before Biafra were attained. He told them that the achievement of Biafra will not be by arm struggle but by brain work.
He said: “Beginning from May 30, 2017, the Movements suspended the use of violence to celebrate the anniversary of the Biafran Declaration. The celebration has, since then, been advancing in methodology, planning, and hosting of activities for the Anniversary Day.
“It is our clueless and conservative political leaders and leaders of nationality groups that aggravate the violence experienced from the pro-Biafran activists. They see the activists as criminals, refuse to interact and integrate with them but are good at diverting funds that ought to be used in developing the South East to their private pockets. This angers these boys so much especially when they hear how the money is mischievously and criminally diverted”, he added.
“On the other hand, the hardship in the country, hunger and injustice in the land anger the people and increase their hunger and thirst for an own republic.”