IPOB Cancels Sit-At-Home, Urges Anambrarians To Go Out And Vote

The leadership of the Indigeous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced the cancellation of its earlier scheduled one week sit-at-home bid to commence Friday November 5 to end November 10.

Recall that the group through its spokesman, Comrade Emma Powerful stated that the decision to call for the one week sit-at-home in the southeast which came after the Director of State (DOS) of the group met and considered such move necessary to further push for the release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu who has been in the Department for State Service (DSS), Abuja since he was repatriated from Kenya by the federal government.

The call for a sit-at-home which many said was targeted at disrupting the Anambra election has generated a lot of heat and concern from all sections of the country.

Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State on Thursday witnessed huge presence of visitors including shoppers from various parts of the country and Africa that were in the city to perform one commercial and economic activity or the other ahead of the one week sit-at-home order of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

While commercial banks had customers that thronged banking halls to contend with, traders in major markets had their hands full while attending to their customers.

Some residents of the city were equally in the market for a last minute shopping of household essentials and to stock their homes with food stuff as uncertainty beclouds the outcome of Anambra State governorship election and the weeklong IPOB sit-at-home order.

Visit to various commercial banks revealed an upsurge of customers who were in the banks to perform various financial transactions that they might not be able to perform within the period of the lockdown.

Others who could not withstand the crowd in the banking halls resorted to the use of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) which equally had long queues.

It was gathered that some business owners who had branches and relations outside the southeast equally relocated from Abia State to their chosen base to enable them continue with their business transactions.

One of those relocating outside southeast, Mr. Chiagozie Kingsley told our correspondent that “there is this contract that I have been pursuing for a very long time.

“From all indications, they will be needing the products by Monday. If I didn’t leave this town today,it means that I will lose that contract which I have been pursuing for a very long time.

“When I noticed that the contract will work,I diverted my goods to Uyo where it will be needed. I have a branch there and that is where most of my customers come from.”

A shopper, Mrs. Clara Onyeka lamented high cost of food stuffs and feared that hunger may force people not to obey the IPOB sit-at-home order.

In what appears to be licking their spit, IPOB spokesman, Emma Power in a Press Statement tagged “WE HAVE CANCELLED OUR ONE WEEK SIT-AT-HOME – IPOB” while disclosing the reason of the group for cancelling the already announced sit-at-home less than 18 hrs to the commencement of the order said “Following the genuine  intervention of our elders, esteemed traditional Institutions /Rulers and Religious Leaders, and after a due consideration of the positive impacts of their engagement, and sequel to the fact that  Our elders have spoken in our terms , the Leadership of IPOB ably lead by MAZI NNAMDI Kanu hereby and immediately CALL OFF THE ONE WEEK SIT AT HOME earlier declared to commence tomorrow, November 5 to November 10, 2021.

“We have equally considered several appeals by our mothers who earn their living based on their daily economic activities which will obviously be affected if Biafra land is locked down for one whole week. It’s never our intention to add to the pains of our people, hence our decision to suspend the sit-at-home.

“IPOB leadership is only interested in Our referendum and peaceful agitation for self determination, and can not by under any guise be seen to be interfering with any electoral process.

“The people of Anambra State should go out en masse and peacefully exercise their franchise come 6th November 20121  and accordingly, chose a leader of their Choice  and should not be intimidated by anybody, group of persons or security agents.

“Credible intelligence available to us confirmed that the Nigeria DSS has concluded arrangement to deploy a branch of their trained terrorist group to Anambra state come 6th Day 2021, to unleash mayhem on our people and attribute the killing to peaceful IPOB members.

“Anambrarians should vote and standby to protect their votes. No rigging of any kind will be tolerated on the Anambra State governorship election. It must be transparent, free and fair to all.

“We wish to thank Biafrans, IPOB members worldwide, friends of Biafra and lovers of freedom for their continued support for our dogged struggle for independence.

“May we therefore, warn detractors, traitors and enemies of Biafra not to cause confusion by imputing motives to our decision. IPOB doesn’t expect anybody to observe, monitor or enforce the suspended order otherwise such action will be considered a rebellion to the highest leadership of our global movement.

“On the other hand, our oppressors should not take our decision as an act of cowardice. IPOB still believes that our elders, religious leaders, political leaders and various stakeholders will live up to their promises in their engagements and efforts towards securing the unconditional release of  our leader.

“We therefore urge all Biafrans and residents of Biafra to go about their lawful businesses without fear of any molestation. All agents of darkness recruited by our enemies to inflict pains on our people under the guise of enforcing the sit-at-home are hereby warned to steer clear or brace up for the consequences of their evil action.

“IPOB will not relent in our  pursuit for Biafra freedom.  Nigeria government must give us date for Biafra referendum to decide where we want to belong.” COMRADE EMMA POWERFUL MEDIA AND PUBLICITY SECRETARY FOR IPOB.