WITH growing apprehension in the South East over a two-week sit-at-home from Tuesday, called by Simon Ekpa, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has tasked South East governors, asking: “What have the various state governments in this region done to stop this menace?
According to Akpabio, “this is localised, if the criminals are arrested and paraded, the citizens would know that the government is working.”
The senate president’s remark came as the Senate called on the Federal Government to reach out to the Finish Government on how to extradite the acclaimed head of the Biafra Government in exile.
In adopting a motion by Senator Osita Izunaso (APC, Imo West), the Senate resolved also to eventual direct relevant authorities to investigate “the activities of Simon Ekpa who is the gang leader,” aimed making him face the music.
The motion, which was co-sponsored by other senators from the South East, was titled: “Condemning the Disruptive Nature of Five Sit-At-Home Demonstrations in South-East Nigeria.”
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia) said, “the governors must come together to work with security chiefs to solve the problem.”
Izunaso said that investors have been leaving the zone as thousands of lives and property worth over a trillion have been lost since the sit-at-home started in the zone over two years ago.
He explained how the “sit-at-home” was destroying economic activities, academic pursuits and has led to immeasurable financial losses for businesses and workers.
Izunaso said, “when people are forced to stay at home and businesses remain closed, productivity declines and income is reduced, thereby affecting livelihoods and economic growth.
“As this increases, the potential for criminal elements to take advantage of the situation to engage in looting or other unlawful activities while the people stay at home.”
He said that if the activities of Ekpa, who issues the sit-at-home orders was not checked, he might succeed in turning Nigerian youths against the government.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia) revealed that he had engaged the Finland Ambassador on Ekpa’s activities but was told that his matter could only be discussed on government-to-government basis since Ekpa is a Finland citizen.
The senators condemned the activities of Ekpa and tasked the government and security agencies to use technology to track the criminals causing the crisis in the South East.
