There was mixed reaction in Awka and Onitsha to the sit-at-home action ordered by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, today, Wednesday. DAILY POST correspondent, who moved round the capital city of Awka early this morning, observed a measure of compliance, with motorists and workers staying away from the roads, during the morning rush hours. However, the order was later shunned with markets opening for normal business.
As at 7am when markets in the state usually opened, traders were still left stranded as market security officials refused to open the gate, insisting that it was waiting for orders from their chairman to either open or not.
There was however jubilation among the traders at 7:50am when the gate was thrown open for business.
Roadside traders and shops, which were previously closed, also opened for business at 9am, giving a full indication that the order had flopped.
Security operatives were also seen moving in convoys apparently to ensure that no one was molested.
DAILY POST gathered that most pupils, who could not make it to school, were called personally by their teachers to come to school as there was no holiday.
Mr. Henry Okwu, a trader at Eke Awka market, said, “I just came back from my children’s school, where I went to drop them off, after receiving several calls from their teachers, asking me to bring them.”
The situation was however different in the banking sector. As at 10am, most of the new generation banks visited were under lock, with no staff in sight.
Frustrated customers formed long queues in front of bank gates, in the hope that they will eventually open for business. A source told our correspondent that the staffers had resumed, but were trying to be careful to avoid being attacked by urchins.
At the state secretariat, civil servants trickled into the complex from as early as 8am as they resumed for work.
Meanwhile, DAILY POST gathered that Onitsha is completely shut down, leaving the Niger bridgehead to Nkpor and other parts of the commercial city totally locked down.
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