IPOB’S MONDAY SIT AT HOME ORDER AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES IN OHAJI/EGBEMA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF IMO STATE FROM 2021 TILL PRESENT

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

It is no longer news that economic activities both in public and private sectors are grounded especially on Mondays in the South-eastern part of Nigeria. It is also a fact that the fears of the unknown hovers around the air in the region as people no longer trust their next-door neighbors. Public offices, private businesses, schools, and markets are shut down every Monday completely in compliance with the order and directives of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). This 'dangerous proclamation' is setting the entire Southeastern part of Nigeria ablaze economically. The IPOB is a separatist group located in southeast Nigeria that has members all over the world where Igbo people live. This group aims to restore the defunct independence of Biafra through non-violence activities (Ekpo & Agorye, 2019).

It all started when the leader of the group, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was arrested in Kenya on June 29, 2021, by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The IPOB is an offshoot of Raph Uwazuruike's Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB). The latter group had the same objective as the IPOB but was very diplomatic in approach when juxtaposed its activities with that of IPOB in recent times (Ekpo and Agorye, 2019). The sole aim of the group is to secede from Nigeria and achieve the Republic of Biafra through a peaceful process. It is worthy of note that the agitation for the achievement of the Sovereign State of Biafra started in the 1960s, following the coup d'état and civil unrest that accompanied it which led to the death of many Igbo residents in the north; and millions of people returned to the east only with their heads (Madiebo, 2018). The unrest and the killing of Igbo people in the north prompted the secession of Biafra in 1967 led by Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

The brutal civil war that ended 54 years ago claimed the lives of approximately 3 million people of Igbo descent, leaving an indelible mark on the Igbo people's minds (Achebe, 2012). The civil war was triggered by the secession of the state of Biafra from Nigeria, which was widely considered an unhappy episode best forgotten, but for the Igbo people who fought in the war and their descendants, it was nothing short of a life-defining event. Biafra surrendered to Nigeria's brutal military force on the 15th of January 1970, and the war ended officially. The then government, led by General Yakubu Gowon came up with a policy of "no victor, no vanquished" and (3Rs) policy of Reconciliation, Reconstruction, and Rehabilitation, adopted by the military government to conceal the effects of the war. This approach may have resulted in a lack of official reflection, but Nigerians of oriental descent grew up hearing war memories from their fathers and mothers (Vanguard News, 2021). The preponderance of evidence in the literature appears to suggest that the mismanagement of General Yakubu Gowon's Reconciliation, Reconstruction, and Rehabilitation (3Rs) policy, which the military government put in place to wipe out the cicatrix of the war, was the obvious and fundamental reason for the resurgence of Biafra uprisings in Nigeria's current democratic dispensation. The inability of the Nigerian government to acknowledge the marginalization of people in south-eastern Nigeria was also the catalyst for the formation of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). So, the rebirth of Biafra agitation by IPOB was triggered following the nature of

Nigeria's political imbalance cum political appointments that are perceived to be disadvantageous to the Igbo people. Perceived evidence of marginalization and the activities of herdsmen in the Southeast region of Nigeria could also not be overlooked. The purported marginalization which was made manifest by Buhari's administration has been captured by scholars and the preponderance of the evidence in the literature includes political alienation, uneven resource distribution, maiming and killing of civilians by the cohesive agents of the government, covert and overt activities of Fulani herdsmen and among similar other factors (Owoeye, Ezeanya, and Obiegbunam, 2022). Allison (2017) in consonance with the above statement also avers that: some nefarious activities carried out by the government of Nigeria and their cohorts resulted in the formation of the IPOB by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu; in the year 2012, with the express goal of regaining Biafra's independence. Meanwhile, following the re-dentation of IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by the Nigerian Government of Nigeria on June 29, 2021, the Monday sit-at-home order became an alternative.

Since then, the sit-at-home order has been the main strategy used by IPOB and their sympathizers across southeastern Nigeria to protest the leader's arrest, as well as to persuade the Nigerian government to unconditionally release their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, from what they believe is illegal detention characterized by inhumane treatment and incarceration on a scale never seen before (Omole, 2021). It is also on record that active youths who are hitherto gainfully and self-employed are struggling to make ends as the economic hardship bites harder due to the effect of the order (Anoke, Osita, Eze & Muogbo, 2021).

However, the mandatory and weekly sit-at-home order and its unlawful enforcement on the inhabitants of the region have prompted numerous disagreements between the group and the government (especially the southeastern state government) of Nigeria with deadly unprecedented economic consequences similar to that of the Nigeria-Biafra civil war on economic activities of the southeast region. The rate of school drop outs, joblessness, and unskilled labor, infant and maternal mortality among other indices of poverty continued to escalate in the state especially in Ohaji/Egbema.

Undoubtedly, Mondays are taken seriously by Igbo business people because, as the first business day of the week, it is calculated that what happens on that day would set the trend of business activity for the rest of the week. Most Ohaji/Egbema business people look forward to doing good business on Mondays, since well-known commercial centers such as Eke Opuma, Nkwo Mmahu, Orie Abacheke, Afor Etekwuru in Egbema district and Eke Awara, Eke Umuagwo, Nkwo Amafor, Ahia Mgbirichi, Orie Umuokanne and Ahia Ohoda in Ohaji among others, see an inflow of traders from other local government areas in the state. As a result, many of these commercial centers was shocked when IPOB proclaimed the first Monday sit-in on August 9th, 2021. Before that date, the IPOB propaganda machine was at its most effective, threatening that everyone who ventured to leave his house that day would be held responsible. People, including security personnel, have been threatened with death in this regard. The IPOB order maintained that the weekly sit-ins would continue until the federal government released Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally. Nobody, not even government officials, dared to leave their houses during the sit-in, which turned the entire southeast into a ghost town. The commercial activity was completely halted, and losses suffered as a result of the sit-at-home were estimated to reach 8 billion naira at the end of the day (Nnewi Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA), 2022).

In light of this, the researchers believe that a study on the impact of the IPOB's mandatory sit-at-home order on economic activities in Ohaji/Egbema is appropriate. Specifically, this study aims to examine IPOB’s Monday sit at home order and socio-economic activities in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State from 2021 till present.

Statement of the Problem

The sit at home order by IPOB and its enforcement is assumed to have caused a lot of misery to the people of south east especially the poor indigenes of Ohaji/Egbema, Imo state who depended on their daily activities for their living. It is against this backdrop that this paper moves to examine the impact of this IPOB’s Monday sit at home order on the poor citizens of Ohaji/Egbema in terms of farming activities, commercial activities and social activities and juxtapose it with their ability to feed their family members, provision of health care services, payment of school fees of their children and escalation of insecurity in the area among others.

With the sit at home order and its enforcement as instituted by Indigenous People of Biafra in solidarity to their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the situations of the citizens of Imo State seems to be worsening on daily basis. While some attribute this situation to the sit at home order on people who depend on daily activities for their survival, others are of the view that the worsening poverty situation of Ohaji/Egbema citizens is due to other factors.

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of the study is to examine IPOB’s Monday sit at home order and socio-economic activities in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State from 2021 till present. Specifically, the study will seek to:

1.      Determine whether IPOB Monday sit at home order has affected farming activities in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State

2.      Find out the implication of IPOB Monday sit at home order on commercial activities in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State

3.      Ascertain whether Monday sit at home order affects social activities such as; meetings, movements, worships, and festivals in v Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State

Significance of the Study

               The findings of this study would be of great benefits to government as it will help government and policy makers adjust laws and policies necessary to create an environment that will promote and protect the rights of the citizens, rule of law, protection of lives and properties as stated as the significant duty of the security personnel and restrict the abuse of power of security personnel in the country.

               Also, this study will be of significant to the public target to be enlightened on the role mass media plays in propagating the happenings around the globe thereby making the world a global village.

               This study will further add to existing literature on sit at home order and as well serve as a reference material to students, scholars and researchers who may want to carry out further research on this topic or related field in the future.

 

Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study:

1.      How does IPOB Monday sit at home order affect farming activities in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State?

2.      What are the implication of IPOB Monday sit at home order on commercial activities in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State?

3.      How does Monday sit at home order affects social activities such as; meetings, movements, schools, worships, and festivals in  Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State?

Scope of the Study

This study will focus on IPOB’s Monday sit at home order and socio-economic activities in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State from 2021 till present. The study will be delimited to dependent variables such as farming activities, commercial activities and social activities in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State.