…calls for legislations to end obnoxious order
Deeply disturbed by the increasing loss of lives, businesses and property of South Easterners worth billions of Naira through the obnoxious sit-at- by Simon Ikpa and his group, a federal lawmaker representing Isuikwato/Umuneochi Federal Constituency in Abia State, Hon Amaobi Ogar has called on the Federal government to intervene and save South Easterners from this senseless destruction of lives and property in the zone.
Recall that Senator Osita Izunaso had in a motion a couple of weeks a go made similar advocacy.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with our Assistant Politics Editor, Ignatius Okorocha on the two weeks worrisome situation orchestrated by the Sit-at-home in the South East geopolitical zones, Hon Ogar noted that it has not only caused the Igbos lives and material resources but property worth billions of Naira.
” Well, for me the Sit-at-home is baseless, senseless and the most destructive thing we have done to our people. Whoever that has started or proposed the sit – at- home in the South East geopolitical zones is an enemy of Ndi-Igbo.
“Whoever it is that conceptualized the anti-peoples order of sit-at home in our zone, has no love for our people.
“You are forcing our people to sit-at-home when our people are self dependent. Government does not give any relief to our people on monthly bases to sustain them while sitting at home and doing nothing. You know that an average Igbo man is a trader and those who are not in business survive through mini- jobs and you talk about sit-at-home. The Sit-at-home in South East, is it sit-at-home in Abuja,” said.
He further wondered,” Does this baseless order stop other ethnic nationalities from doing their businesses. Do you think that the Federal government is interested in your agitations when it is saddled with other pressing issues.
“Nigeria is too large and there are so many ways we can say we don’t like the continuous detention of our brother Nnamdi Kanu rather than inflicting hardship on our people.
“You say you are a Biafran, I want to tell you that you are not a Biafran because late Ikemba Odimegwu Ojukwu never killed our people in the cause of his agitation for a Biafran nation.
“This is a man who sacrificed his father’s wealth in the cause of fighting for the sovereignty of Biafra.
“All those claiming to love Biafra how much of their personal hard earned money have they invested in this this struggle.
Ojukwu spent his father’s wealth for the sovereignty of the Igbos but is it our plans in a Nigeria of today?”
Continuing, Hon Ogar said,”The freedom we are talking about today, are we going to achieve it by killing and impoverishing our people for no just course.
“Today we have so many groups operating under the guise of unknown gunmen, kidnappers, bandits operating in the South East and you are there compounding the insecurity in our zone with you sit-at – home agenda when poverty is ravaging the entire country.
“You go and kill market women doing petty trading in the market insisting that they should not go out to look for what their families would eat.
“God will never forgive those perpetuating this evil under the guise of sit – at home and their sponsors.
I can never be part of it, I can ever support it because I love my people.
“We as legislators in the National Assembly have responsibility to speak out and make legislations for the well being of our people on any matter of national interest.
“If you think that your representatives in the apex Parliament are not doing enough, you have the right to change or recall them and that is the essence of democracy.
“If you think that our zone is being marginalized by the federal government, it is your duty to present the matter to South East lawmakers to present the matter at the two chambers of the National Assembly as matter of urgent importance or by way of Bill rather than taking laws into your hands by declaring sit-at -home order and enforcing it by killing innocent Nigerians for no just course.
“Do you know that South East business men are loosing billions of Naira any day they are forced to shut down their businesses to observe sit-at-home order.
“As I am talking to you, so many companies are leaving the South East (Onitsha) and relocating to Asaba or Lagos to continue their business.
Again as I am talking to you Coco cola has left Enugu state because of sit-at-home order and by so doing, the company has laid off over 3000 workers.”