By Cajetan Mmuta, Awka
The Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo on Friday, directed all civil servants, markets and transporters to resume regular activities on Monday.

Soludo stated this in a statement posted on his Twitter handle where he disclosed the resolve by his government to conduct regular meetings and interactions with market leaders and those of transport unions across the state.

He said, “I just concluded the first in what would become a regular interaction with Market leaders and leaders of various transport unions in the State. Part of our interaction bordered on the welfare of our traders, artisans, and business owners.”

Recall that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have since last year Sit-At-Home order on every Monday, which has become free day for residents across the five states in the Southeast geo political zone of the country.

The IPOB order is to compel the Federal Government to release leader of the group Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who is currently facing treasonable felony and other charges preferred against him by the federal government of Nigeria.

Soludo had during his inauguration as governor on March 17th 2022 appealed to members of IPOB and other agitators to tow the path of peace and dialogue.

He also in a circular signed by the Head of Service, Theodora Igwegbe, stated that any civil servant or political appointee who absents himself from work on Monday or any other working days without approval would be appropriately sanctioned.

He said, “I reiterated the commitment of the State to phase out the old method of revenue collection.”

According to the governor,”The new method we would deploy, will leverage the use of technology and ensure that a larger percentage of government revenues from this source fully comes into government coffers for effective use.”

He declared that, “We have further agreed with the Market and Transport union leaders to put an end to the “Monday sit at home” that has proven to be counter-productive. Our people are losing productive hours and competitiveness to the activities of criminal elements who have taken advantage of this self-defeating strategy to destroy the economy of our dear State.”

“This has to stop immediately too. In the new system that we are collectively building with the active support of these critical stakeholders, there will be zero tolerance for touting and any form of criminality that seeks to maim, kill or threaten the peace of the people. Anambra must work in our time and beyond,” he added.

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It was gathered that an estimated N15 billion is lost each week as a result of the Sit-At-Home order on Mondays across the states of Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo states.

The spate of killings method on innocent persons and destruction of properties across the states in the Southeast zone have sparked worrisome state of insecurity which forces the federal government to deploy Special forces made up of combined team of soldiers, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and armed policemen to parts of the zone.

An estimated 2,000 persons made up of youths, eminent personalities and security agencies have so far lost their lives in the wake of violent and bloody clashes between security agencies and suspected members of Eastern Security Network (ESN) which is the militant arm of IPOB.

A good number of prominent Igbo men have been gruesomely killed by suspected hoodlums masquerading under the guise of unknown gunmen.

At present communities such as Azia, Ihiala, Orsumuoghu in Anambra State and those of Orlu, Isu Njaba, Nwangene, Akatta, Umutanzi, Okporo, Orsu, Awo Idemili, Awo Omamma and adjoining towns have been under siege as theatre of war due to the activities of unknown gunmen.