Nigeria: Massob - Ebonyi Residents in Panic-Buying
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This Day (Lagos)
28 August 2008
Posted to the web 28 August 2008
Christopher Isiguzo
Abakaliki
Markets in the South-east part of the country yesterday witnessed increased patronage, with residents engaging in panic-buying, in readiness for today's commencement of the sit-at-home order issued by Movement for Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).
THISDAY's visit to the popular Abakpa Market, in Abakaliki, showed that most of the traders were already getting set to abide by the order.
However, Ebonyi State Government has described the order as as "ill-motivated, unlawful and misleading."
Government, in a statement issued by Special Assistant to the Governor on Media Relations, Mr Abia Onyike, urged the people to discountenance the order and go about their lawful duties.
It warned residents against complying with the order, maintaining that anybody that obeys it by either not going to work or closing shops and market stalls would not only loose his/her job, but would have such shops and stalls permanently sealed.
"Having regard to the overriding need to maintain law and order and to guarantee security of law-abiding residents of the state, the government hereby urges every citizen to disregard the order and go about their lawful duties.
"The state government will not hesitate to permanently close down and seal up any firm, market or business organisation that obeys or complies with the MASSOB order or any other order by MASSOB henceforth," the statement read.
While noting that law enforcement agencies have been placed on red alert to maintain law and order and ensure that citizens who go about their lawful duties are not molested, Onyike noted that the said order directing people to stay at home and close their businesses from 7a.m. to 4p.m. today, is in itself against the interest of the generality of the people of the zone.
The statement therefore urged chairmen of the 13 local government areas, coordinators of the 64 development centres, traditional rulers, community leaders and well-meaning individuals to sensitise their people and watch out for hoodlums and miscreants who might want to exploit the "illegal MASSOB order," to cause the breach of the peace.
When THISDAY visited Abakpa Market in Abakaliki, most of the traders insisted that they would observe the order, maintaining that those giving contrary opinion were "against the interest of Biafra."
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A marketer who simply gave his name as Nworie told THISDAY that they had been obeying the order for close to four years now, and would not be ready to listen to anybody who would want them to do anything contrary. "We believe in Biafra and we hope that one day, we would have our freedom," he said.
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