ENUGU State governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has commended civil servants, transporters, business community and other institutions in the state for the significant compliance with government’s directive for residents to shun the Monday sit-at-home order and go about their normal businesses.
Many residents of the state on Monday,June 5, 2023 traders defiled the sit-at-home order initially imposed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and went about their businesses.
The governor had stated that about 70 per cent of the people heeded the directive and expressed hope of total compliance on subsequent Mondays.
Mbah, while monitoring compliance with the directive by government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), markets and business concerns, restated government’s resolve to secure lives and property.
Mbah, who also visited markets, where he was warmly received by traders and their leaders, said productivity was key to all the promises he made to the people to drive investment inflow into the state, create jobs, and provide quality services.
He reminded them that the power and mandate belonged to them, charging them not to allow people who had no stake in the state’s economy to undermine its peace and prosperity.
He later said: “The primary objective of my visitations is largely to observe the level of compliance of the directive that we gave last week, declaring that we do not have sit-at-home in Enugu henceforth. The directive was meant to ensure that our people come out on the first working and productive day of the week.
“We do have a compliance level of about 60 to 70 per cent and the order took effect from today. I am aware the circular to this effect was sent out on Friday last week. It may well be that not all the workers got the information that we no longer have sit-at-home on Mondays.
“Whether we succeed or fail in ending sit-at-home, we do that together as Enugu people. If we succeed, our collective success means we can rise together against intimidation. It is not anybody’s or government’s success. We need to take collective responsibility for our decision.
“But the truth is that everything we have promised our people in Enugu is anchored on getting the flow of private sector investments into our state; and the private sector cannot come into a state where the people are not productive. The private sector thrives on big markets and a vibrant workforce.
“So, our people are known by their hard work, by their industry and commerce. So, we cannot have people, who kill these spirits in our people and dictate to us the day we should go to work and the day we should sit at home.
“We have to revive that spirit of hard work and culture of commerce and industry that our people are known for. We want to reinstate that; and that is exactly what we are doing.”
The governor assured the people of government’s commitment to the security of lives and property every other day of the week, including Mondays, adding: “Security of lives and property is essentially the oath we took and that is at the top of our priorities. We must ensure the safety of our people. And we have also said repeatedly that our people should go about their businesses.
“Let it not ever be heard that we are going to be listening to people, who do not stake in our economy and social welfare dictate to us when we must come out to work. It should not be heard of.
“Think about it, we are here today because we got the mandate of the people. So, could you then have somebody make you inferior without your consent? Someone you have not given your mandate to lead you tells you to sit down and, somehow, you begin to sit at home. And he tells you to go, and you begin to go. That should not be acceptable.
“It actually undermines our dignity as a people and we shouldn’t endorse that.”
