By Chris O. Chris
Since the leader of IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was unlawfully arrested abroad and secretly sent to DSS dungeon by Nigeria government, South East Nigeria, the headquarters of IPOB has never remained the same. Members of IPOB had after the unlawful arrest of their leader staged different forms of protest for the release of their leader but Nigeria government is unyielding. Court has ordered for the unconditional release of IPOB leader during the regime of Buhari but the Fulani man kept him in DSS dungeon because of their hatred to Igbo nation. During Buhari’s regime, we witnessed the unconditional release of so many Boko Haram members; one of the most deadliest terrorist groups in Africa. Our resources were used to rehabilitate them and sent them back to the society without anybody saying anything. This goes to show you how the Igbos are treated as second class citizens in Nigeria.
As means of getting government attention to their demand as has been ordered by a federal high court, IPOB through her leadership ordered sit at home in all the Biafra land especially South East Nigeria. It started gradually with one day sit at home, two days sit at home and one week sit at home. At first, the compliance was very low because people believe it is senseless. IPOB changed tactics and introduced fear into the system. During the process, unknown gunmen appeared from nowhere to enforce sit at home order. They started by attacking security agencies, burning security stations and maiming security operatives. Security operatives were killed like fowl on daily basis with no solution in sight. In fact, they made mockery of Nigeria security operatives. They over powered all the security agencies just like bandits in the North. The terror and damages inflicted on the Nigeria security agencies by the unknown gunmen sent fear and panic to the general public. If soldiers with arms and ammunition are killed, what else will be the fate of ordinary citizens who dare to disobey them? IPOB came out to distance herself from unknown gunmen and condemned their actions. They said nothing like sit at home again only for IPOB to realize they were no longer in charge. Enemies of South East started taking advantage of the situation. Orders for sit at home started coming out from all angles including false alarm and they were all obeyed due to the fear of unknown gunmen.
Enter Simon Ekpa. It is believed he lives in Finland. He took advantage of the situation in South East and declared himself the Prime Minister of Biafra. He started issuing orders to South East citizens and made sit at home our daily bread while using unknown gunmen to punish offenders. Every Monday was eventually declared sit at home in Biafra land and not even Nigeria government violated it. Monday was officially adopted as public holiday in all the five states of South East Nigeria and even the federal government supported it hence their silence. No citizen disobeys the order of Simon Ekpa and survives to talk about it. So many souls were wasted and no reasonable government enjoys seeing his citizens being butchered. Security agencies have been crippled and one can’t rely on them again. Not even single check point could be seen in any road in South East. We became accustomed to sit at home every Monday despite the challenges but no one wants to die. For the past two years, we have been surviving and living fine.
As it has become our custom, the enforcers (Unknown gunmen) started disappearing gradually. People started coming out gradually and business activities started thriving gradually. More security operatives were recruited by federal government to cushion the lost of numerous officers. Gradually, security check points started returning and vehicular movements on Mondays started also especially after 4pm. Shops started opening and some major markets resumed especially in Enugu State. It became obvious that Monday sit-at-home is dying a natural death and the activities of unknown gunmen ceased naturally especially in Enugu State. People condemned Simon Ekpa for inciting violence in South East and for orchestrating the killing of innocent citizens of South East due to sit at home violation. To some people, Simon Ekpa is a monster and a murderer. He is a terrorist and bloodsucking demon because he forced people to stay at home against their wish. Some people started asking for his head but Ekpa is in Finland while unknown gunmen are with us.
Then enter Peter Mbah as governor of Enugu State after 2023 election, though on interim basis until supreme court says otherwise. Before Mbah came in, Enugu State was and is faced with so many challenges which sit at home is not one of them. Peter Mbah claims Enugu State is losing ten billion naira every Monday because of sit at home. As a result, he gave an executive order baning Monday sit at home in Enugu State as if the good citizens of Enugu State initiated it in the first place. He held several meetings with several bodies informing them of his desire to end Monday sit at home and the people believe he has good plans. This uncalculated and unthinkable decision, went and woke up the unknown gunmen whom we have forgotten. They returned with more impunity and disregard to human life. The once forgotten Monday sit-at-home became alive again and Enugu State citizens started paying with their lives again. Markets and business activities started closing again and movements become more restricted all because of the pronunciation Peter Mbah made.
After his visit to Tinubu where he claimed he discussed with the president over the unconditional release of IPOB leader; he came out with another executive order only that this time the order is senseless and undemocratic. He said any shop that refuses to open on Monday will be sealed off by the government of Enugu State. It came to shop owners as a shock. You will seal off someone’s shop in a democratic setting for refusing to risk his or her life to do business? Oh my goodness! Is this not a sign of mental retardation? As if it was a joke, Peter Mbah came out on 24th July (Monday) with heavy security guards and started sealing off people’s shops because they refused to risk their lives. The shop owners came out the next day for business only to meet their shops sealed. They organized themselves on Wednesday and went for peaceful protest but the government ordered security operatives to kill them and no fewer than ten persons were alleged to have been killed by security operatives on the order of the governor.
One then asks, is Peter Mbah in any way better than Simon Ekpa? Ekpa ordered for Monday sit-at-home and used unknown gunmen to enforce it when people refused. Peter Mbah ordered for shops to open on Monday and when shop owners refused, Mbah used security operatives to enforce it resulting to lost of lives of several innocent citizens of Enugu State. How is Mbah better or different from Ekpa? Both are in the business of forcing people to do something against their wish. Both are in the business of sucking blood.
However, one may wish to wonder what is Mbah’s agenda in Enugu State. Is Mbah indirectly telling us that the ten billion naira he said Enugu State is losing because of Monday sit-at-home is more important than the lives and properties of Enugu State citizens? Is he more interested in the money than in securing our lives? Why did he move with heavy security guards on Monday to seal off shops if Enugu is safe? What proactive measures has he taken towards improving the security of lives and properties of Enugu State citizens that will make them trust his order? Aside the five vehicles he procured to serve as quick response team, what else has he done that made him believe he will conquer unknown gunmen when they come? How can five vehicles be enough to cover a State of seventeen local government areas and over four hundred autonomous communities? Is Ogbete market the only market in Enugu State? Herdsmen continue to kill and maim our people in Uzo Uwani on daily basis, what has Mbah done to curtail it? If you can’t protect your citizens against herdsmen, how do you expect them to believe you will protect them against unknown gunmen? Who wants to risk his or her life because you want your shop to be opened?
Before his emergence as governor, people had predicted that he would usher in the days of Spartacus in Enugu State where killing is nothing but daily bread. And just less than two months in office, Mbah has proven his critics right. Other states are celebrating new projects being executed by their governors, ours is busy taking life away from us and causing us more untold hardship. I don’t want to talk about the foolish citizens of Enugu State who are applauding Mbah’s decision and the killing of innocent citizens yesterday. No single justification except that PDP is their party. Even people you think are reasonable turned out to be fools just because of what they hope to gain from the government. To them, Mbah’s decision is holistic as if Peter Mbah is infallible. To all of you that are applauding Mbah’s decision and the killing of innocent citizens of Enugu State, karma is coming.
*Chris O. Chris writes from Garden City and can be reached through chrisochris042@gmail.com