The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, has urged Igbos to stop obeying the sit-at-home order by the factional leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa.

Ohaneze the Igbos to go about their lawful economic activities.

This is contained in a statement by Ohaneze’s president-general, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, on Monday.

Mr Iwuanyanwu, while condemning the incessant call for sit-at-home in the South-East by Mr Ekpa, estimated that more than 250 people in the region had lost their lives by enforcing the order.

The Ohaneze leader said it was disheartening that Igbos are subjected to hardships due to the st-at-home order and stressed that several non-state actors, in an attempt to enforce the order, had unleashed mayhem on the people.

Mr Iwuanyanwu described the situation as unfortunate.

“As a result, several people have been killed, maimed, and properties worth millions of naira have been destroyed. In addition, the order has been instilling fears and trepidation in the good people of the zone, making it difficult for people to come out to transact their lawful businesses on the sit-at-home days,” the Ohaneze president-general stated.

He said South-East was noted for micro, small and medium-scale enterprises, indigenous manufacturing, fabrication and agro-allied industries.

According to him, several authorities have put the losses encountered by Igbos in the South-East at trillions of naira each day the sit-at-home order was enforced.

“The South-East has witnessed loss of clients and customers who find alternatives because of the unstable business environment in the zone. Food transporters to the South-East charge more for a trip to Igboland because of these sit-at-home orders,” the statement stressed.

It explained that “insecurity and unknown gunmen have been on the increase because of the sit-at-home order, and it is saddening to see that Mr Simon Ekpa has announced” another two-week sit-at-home in the South-East.

“This is unacceptable and must not be allowed to succeed in Igboland,” Mr Iwuanyanwu said.

Mr Iwuanyanwu explained that a few days ago, Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed IPOB, on whose behalf Mr Ekpa claimed to be working, had directed the Mr Ekpa “to end all sit-at-home” in the South-East.

According to him, Mr Kanu urged Mr Ekpa to stop antagonising the governors of the South-East or politicians from the region. He said it was disturbing that at a time Ohaneze was engaging Igbo entrepreneurs worldwide on a “think-home“ philosophy, a foreign-based Igbo was bent on destabilising the homefront.

“It is evident that the series of sit-at-home orders is affecting the social and economic life of the Igbos, and it is not to the advantage of the Igbos. As a father, I hereby request Mr Simon Ekpa and his group for a discussion and an opportunity to air their grievances,” the Ohaneze statement said.

Mr Iwuanyanwu added, “I urge the security operatives to exercise the highest degree of prudence in the discharge of their official duties to avoid further loss of innocent lives in Igboland. ’I wish on behalf of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide to commend the South-East governors in their effort to put a stop to the sit-at-home order.”

(NAN)