Markets, motor parks, banks, shopping malls, offices and filling stations remained shut on Monday in major cities such as Onitsha, Nnewi, Oba, and Obosi, as the activity did not take place.
This was in compliance with the sit-at-home order by IPOB as all the shops and the roads were deserted.
The few tricycle operators, who took the risk to operate every other Monday before now, stayed off the road as some hoodlums had threatened them not to dare the road.
Although, there were improved activities in Awka, the Anambra State capital and in and around the government house, along the Enugu-Onitsha expressway.
This is despite the directive by the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, that full activities should now commence every Monday.
Tribune Online had earlier reported that Governor Soludo and some critical stakeholders in the state, including some traditional rulers and some clerics, had met and fixed last Monday as a prayer session to herald the cancellation of the IPOB sit-at-home order.
Our correspondent who monitored the development, also observed that most shops on the streets of Onitsha, the commercial centre of the state, including food vendors, also stayed away from their shops, as they did not open for transactions.
Some of the traders claimed that hoodlums had gone around the area over the weekend warning them against opening their shops on Monday.
The trend was not different in Nnewi, another commercial hub of the state, where major markets did not open for commercial activities, as some of the traders gathered in different groups and were discussing matters of interest.
One of them, identified as Kenechi, a spare part dealer, blamed the government for not providing adequate security.
“Directing us to come out means subjecting us and our business to risk and no one will want to take such risk because these hoodlums can come anytime and start burning people’s shops and at end of the day, the government will not do anything.”
Frustrated commuters of the city, especially those on essential services, were seen trekking long distances to get to their various destinations as there were no vehicles.
Although the state police spokesman, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, had assured residents of adequate security, no presence of security agents, was sighted at strategic locations.
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