Monday Sit-At-Home Persists Despite Soludo's Prayer Walk

Southeast residents have continued to observe Monday's sit-at-home order which has been canceled by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) despite a recent move by the Anambra State government to bring it to an end.

In Enugu, Ebonyi, Owerri, Abia and Anambra, markets, parks, malls, petrol stations and restaurants were under lock and key.

A few private and commercial vehicles were seen in some major areas.

A few individuals were equally seen trekking to their destinations due to lack of vehicular movement.

Roadside markets were however open for business. 

Although IPOB had repeatedly announced an indefinite suspension of the sit-at-home order, residents have continued to stay at home for fear of being attacked by hoodlums. 

There was increased patrol of security operatives while some of them were positioned at strategic locations across the states.

The prayer walk was only observed in the state with a few individuals participating in the exercise.

The exercise was led by the state governor Charles Soludo who encouraged residents to shun fear and resume their normal businesses.

During the exercise which was held at the St. Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral, Awka, the governor further appealed to the state residents to come together and fix the state.

He also directed all the churches in the state to hold prayer sessions that will put to an end Monday sit-at-home order.

“We will engage with the good, the bad and the ugly, we will not discriminate against anybody.

“We need more engagement than force in solving the problems, we need peace and security in our land to make progress, we can’t continue to cut our nose to spite our face.

“All churches should announce the Monday prayers,” saying 'They will also signal the end of the Monday sit-at-home order that had lingered for months'", he said.

The above statement of the governor is in line with the resolutions reached between him, Bishops of the Southeast and traditional rulers in the zone in a meeting which was held recently in the state as part of the solution to the sit-at-home issue.

However the prayer walk was only witnessed in Anambra state.

A high-ranking official of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) when asked the reason for the boycott of the exercise in other Southeast states said that the exercise was a noble one which will soon be adopted across the zone.

It is estimated that the economy of the Southeast has lost billions of naira to the Monday sit-at-home which has so far defied every possible solution.