The Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, has proffered reasons why the people of the South East are observing the sit-at-home order put in place by the Indigenous People of Biafra.
Governor Umahi said this on Monday after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa.
He said the order by IPOB was impacting negatively on the economy of the South East, adding that fear was the major reason people stayed away from their work and businesses.
He said: “Well, I think is not more or less complying to the directive of IPOB or no IPOB, suspended or not suspended.
“It is a question of fear.
“You know, the easiest thing to do is to carry a weapon and kill somebody, and that’s what happened in the past.
“And that’s why, you know, some people in the South East are afraid of coming out.
“Even if you go now to the street and say that… or you hold AK 47, you see everybody will desert the streets.
“So, it’s not a question of compliance.
“It’s a question of fear.
“If the security agencies can have enough personnel in the South East, you’ll find out that no South East man wants to miss a day of work.
“They like to work.
“They are into trade, commerce and they want to earn their daily living.
“So, this is something that the nation Nigeria must know.
“And it’s something that security agencies must know.
“Security agencies must know that they owe South East people the duty to protect their lives.
“And this is the reason why it appears that in some states there is a compliance of sit-at-home, even though like you said, IPOB has said, it’s suspended.
“But it’s the worst thing to happen to South East because it will destroy the economy of South East.
“And so I’ve been singing and I have been shouting that South East people should take into knowledge not to allow such thing to happen because it will cripple the economy of South-East.”