TheCable

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) says Mondays will now be known as “economic empowerment days” in the south east.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Emma Powerful, IPOB’s spokesperson, said the economic empowerment day (EED) will replace the sit-at-home order which Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the group, had recently ended.

Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu, had said his state loses N10 billion every Monday to the sit-at-home order. 

Powerful said the EED would help south-east residents to devote their resources towards reversing the financial losses from the prolonged sit-at-home.

“Following the total cancellation of all forms of sit-at-home in the entire south-east, as clearly and unequivocally encapsulated in Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s handwritten letter which was recently published, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has as a follow up to the recorded acceptability and massive compliance with the directive, further directed UmuChineke, to henceforth, set aside every Monday as an ‘economic empowerment day (EED)’ in the entire South-East,” the statement reads.

“Economic empowerment day (EED) connotes a day set aside for mass mobilization of Biafrans, to devote their resources and means towards reversing the sharp and unprecedented decline in the economic, educational, and social needs of our people occasioned by the prolonged sit-at-home.”

The IPOB spokesperson said the exercise would require south-east residents to deploy their resources for the empowerment of the educationally disadvantaged and the poor.

“Through education, employment, health services, sense of identity and community, our people and indeed, the Eastern region can begin to thrive and grow,” Powerful said.

“There is an urgent need to reclaim our lost glory by embarking on empowering Biafrans with the resources they need to live beyond mere subsistence as our people are known globally for hard work, resilience, and great achievements.

“Also, the implication of this economic empowerment day (EED) is that Biafrans are expected to devote significant time to adhere to their routine calendar schedule template strictly and uninterruptedly with a view to making up for the humongous time lost to the activities of misguided enforcers of unsanctioned Monday sit at home order.”

Powerful noted that Kanu’s cancellation of the sit-at-home was not done under duress or compulsion but was geared towards rebuilding the “once envied eastern region”.

Simon Ekpa, Kanu’s self-acclaimed disciple, had described the letter ending the sit-at-home order as an “insult taken too far”.

Ekpa said Kanu would never write such a letter and asked Biafrans to disregard the order.