The two-week sit-at-home order issued by Simon Ekpa has suffered a setback. Residents of Southeast states shunned the order and attended to their daily schedules yesterday.

In Imo State, business owners in the Owerri metropolis opened to customers.

Banks, markets, supermarkets, restaurants and artisans operated unhindered.

Transporters operated at their terminals on Egbu Road, Arugo Park, on the Owerri-Onitsha road.

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However, it was learnt that residents of volatile local government areas like Orlu, Njaba and Oguta were scared to move about freely.

A resident, who simply identified himself as Donatus, said: “People were indoors in Orlu because of the area’s volatile nature.”

In Enugu, public institutions opened for businesses, even as individuals went about their normal lives without fear.

Public transportation also witnessed a boom as people moved about freely.

Security operatives were stationed at strategic locations within the Enugu metropolis to ward off any untoward situation.

Residents described the order as ‘reckless and an attempt by Ekpa to play with their lives as he wished, and inflict more hardship on them’.

“Though we have ended the Monday sit-at-home in Enugu, it has already done enough damage to the people.

“This new order will amount to emasculating the people of the Southeast economically. I think Ekpa only wanted to test our resolve to continue to be afraid of his violence.

“I think today has shown that we can’t tolerate all that anymore”, a resident, Dr. Sly Okpala said.

Residents of Ebonyi as usual ignored the order and went about their normal activities.

Abakaliki, the state capital, witnessed a beehive of socio-economic activities as people went about their normal activities.

The city was peaceful and the atmosphere was calm.

Security operatives were on patrol and also stationed at strategic points across the city.

Vehicular activities were also unhindered as commuters moved freely from one location to another.

At Kpirikpiri Market, transactions went on without restrictions. A trader described Ekpa’s order as wicked.

“Why would anybody ask people to stay at home for two whole weeks? What will people eat? Children are on holiday. How do we cope with their upkeep if we stay at home?

“Next month they resume school. How do we make money to pay their fees if we stay at home for two weeks?” he queried.

Residents of Umuahia, the Abia capital, and their counterparts in Aba, the commercial nerve centre, also went about their day-to-day businesses.

Unlike Monday when people sat out of their shops, offices and business centres, schools opened for summer lessons, even as traders and other business outlets opened for transactions.

Banks and other public and private institutions were also opened for business.

Uniform personnel, including traffic wardens, who stayed away from their duty posts on Monday, were seen controlling traffic.

Loading bays of commercial transport companies also opened for business.

Gates of major and roadside markets were open, and trading went on unhindered.

Some of the traders, Mr. Clement Nwaka and Mrs. Dorathy, however, complained of low patronage.

According to them, most of their customers come from neighbouring states and African countries, but because of the uncertainty of the sit-at-home, some of them could not come to the market, while others requested that their orders be weigh-billed to them.

They were confident their customers would start coming back before the week ran out.

Anambra for the first time ignored the sit-at-home order. While residents defied the order, security operatives took over the roads, with Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye, leading the troops.

Except for the banks that failed to open, other businesses opened to customers. Vehicles plied the major cities of Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi and Ekwulobia.

It was gathered that Ihiala Local Government Area was partially grounded as residents feared attack by hoodlums. Communities like Lilu, Azia, Okija, Ihembosi, and Iseke, among others, have been under attack by miscreants for a long time.

A resident said there were skeletal human and vehicular movements in almost all the communities in Ihiala.

He said: “I just returned from Owerri today. While I was approaching the boundary between Imo and Anambra, I observed the absence of vehicles along the road. I only saw cars when I entered Nnewi.”

Meanwhile, Onitsha and its environs recorded about 35 per cent compliance compared to what it used to be before the present order. A tricycle operator, Okorocha Mkeme, who attributed the compliance to fear, expressed joy over Nnamdi Kanu’s counter announcement, using his handwriting to condemn Ekpa and his criminal sit-at-home order.

He said: “Fear gripped the people because of the said criminal, Simon Ekpa, who lives in Finland and issues a weeks’ sit-at-home order to Southeast people. Simon Ekpa will never see a good thing in his life. People fear that he will send his boys to enforce the order because it is always an opportunity for them to attack, maim, rob, kidnap and assassinate their innocent Southeast brothers in the name of fighting to release Nnamdi Kanu.

“What saved the situation now is the personal counter announcement from Kanu, using his handwriting to condemn Ekpa and his criminal sit-at-home order. We thank whoever may have permitted Kanu to consult his doctor outside the DSS cell.

“That assures us that if he is released, Ekpa’s hope of milking the people in the Southeast through enforcement of non-existent sit-at-home will be dashed.”

A trader in Nnewi also accused Ekpa of selfishness, saying he had wanted to take over IPOB leadership

“His prayer is that Kanu will remain in DSS custody and possibly die there to enable him to overshadow other IPOB members and become the leader, but he has failed,” he said.

The national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ralphs Okey-Nwosu, has said that his party would reposition Kogi State through good governance and leadership if the candidate of the party, Honourable Leke Abejide, is elected governor in the November 11 election.

Speaking at ADC national headquarters in Abuja, on Tuesday, when a Coalition of Kogi Youths and Students visited him to declare their support for the governorship candidate of the party, Nwosu said Abejide had shown his capacity through his track record as a two-term member of the House of Representatives.

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Nwosu, who spoke on ADC’s policy Trust for Kogi State, noted that he has a clear track record based on his constituency projects, adding that for Abejide to be elected twice in the midst of the other political parties shows his pedigree and resolve to work for the people.

He said: “The roads in Yagba East and West are better than any road in the entire State. I am confident that some of you from his constituency have also benefited from his generous initiatives and Educational Promotion Programs.

“Honourable Abejide’s theme is clear, Making Kogi a Super Confluence hub and number one in Infrastructure, education, Agriculture and industry. He is ready to empower the youths and create opportunities and the enabling environment to make the streets, roads and farmlands safe in Kogi for unprecedented transformation.”

Ralph-Nwosu added that the ADC candidate is ready to work with the elders, women groups and youths to embrace equity values to promote peace, justice and security. The people of Kogi have been sensitized to accept equity as the pathway to creating enormous possibilities and development opportunities for the state and indigenes to thrive.

“The fact that the insensitivity of governments in the state over the years halted development and created large-scale unemployment and youth restiveness which have resulted in the chaos of kidnapping, political thuggery and gangsterism, assassinations and general insecurity is clearly manifest. The confluence equity thrust will address this and create empowerment opportunities for all Kogites.

“The ADC Education Empowerment Programme which Honourable Leke Abejide has successfully led in his federal constituency will be extended to the entire State even before he gets the mantle to be governor, WAEC fees will be paid for all Kogi indigenes and scholarships provided for needy Students. This tradition, we shall continue in a robust and organized manner to make Kogi number one in education in a few years.

“To address the security challenge and support Kogi farmers, we will implement massive large- scale agriculture initiatives.

“New agripreneurs will be encouraged from our massive training and farm support programmes. All schools of agriculture and students studying agriculture will be supported on specific product cultivation schemes. This is aimed at making the State a world-record holder in the production of some essential produce like sesame-seeds, maize, cashew nuts.”

In his remarks, Honourable Abejide told the representatives of the youths and students that he was ready to serve the people and serious work was going on in the East, Central and West among leaders of the state who want equity to play out.

“The people have seen the type of work i have done as their representative in the last few years. On my own, I just wanted to continue to serve my people, but our leaders from the three senatorial zones taught it wise that I should come and replicate what I have been doing in my constituency across the state.

“I am in politics to serve, so there was no way I could have refused an opportunity to serve the people,” he said.

The youths, represented by their chairman, Comrade David Amanah, and Secretary, lMiss Joyce Adegbite, said they came to the ADC headquarters because of their resolve to embrace ADC and support Honourable Leke Abejide in the coming governorship election.

The youth leader Amanah insisted that the candidate is a man of his words and someone that has been tested and trusted, assuring the National Working Committee (NWC) that the youths will deliver 100 percent for Abejide.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday in its final written address on the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar said the FCT has no special status.

Counsel to INEC, Abubakar Mahmoud noted that in line with section 134 of the constitution, the FCT is treated as a state, in essence, there are 37 states in the country.

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Mahmoud said the petitioners have failed woefully in establishing their petition hence, their request should be dismissed by the tribunal.

According to INEC’s lead counsel, the petitioners listed non-compliance with the Electoral Act, the status of the FCT, INEC Regulations and Guidelines, and the use of technology in the election as major issues of contention.

Mahmoud however said it is illogical to insist one must get 25 percent of votes in the country’s capital as postulated by the petitioners. He argued that it will create a situation where FCT voters would be given special status above other Nigerians living in other states.

While urging the tribunal to dismiss the petition by Atiku and the PDP, the INEC lawyer insisted that their claim on the status of the FCT is “most absurd.”

On the technical glitches during the election, Mahmoud said evidence shows that accreditation and authentication of voters were effective and that the technical glitches cited by Atiku happened for about 4 hours but were resolved and didn’t affect the final outcome of the polls.

“They have failed woefully to establish that there was human interference in the technical glitches that happened on election day,” Mahmoud said.

“The petitioners constructed certain things in their minds to which they failed to prove,” Mahmoud added.

Chairman of the Lagos State Parks and Garages (LASPG), Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya (MC Oluomo), has announced that transporters in the state will not be joining the August 2 strike called by the organised labour.

Rather, Akinsanya announced on Tuesday at a meeting with transport union leaders and operators, relief measures for commercial bus drivers and passengers to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government.

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He said the tickets sold to drivers at parks for N800 would now be N600 and all bookings would be reduced by 25 per cent.

For passengers, Akinsanya said routes which used to attract N500 transport fare would now be charged at N300 while commuters previously paying N200 would now pay N150.

He added that commercial motorcycle (okada) and tricycle (Keke Marwa) operators would enjoy 25 per cent reduction on the tickets bought from the union.

He announced that a task force has been put in place to monitor the implementation of the directive.

The LASPG chairman urged various parks and garages’ executives to ensure compliance, warning that sanctions would be meted out to defaulters.

The task force will be led by all members of state executives, parks’ chairmen and selected union leaders.

He said that agency would do everything in its power not to inconvenient the masses.

He said the directive was a follow-up to an earlier announcement by the state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on bus fare reduction.

Akinsanya said about 50,000 members of the agency would not be joining Nigeria Labour Congress’ (NLC) planned protest on Wednesday.

He said: “We, the state executives and the entire members of the Lagos State Parks and Garages met today (Tuesday) in Lagos to review the situation in the country, particularly in Lagos, following the oil subsidy removal by the Federal Government.

“After much deliberations and review, we discussed the high costs of foods, transport fares and other areas of public interest, in particular the plan by the organised labour, i.e., the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), to call workers out on a strike.

“After a careful discussion, we concluded that we will not be part of any strike or protest rally being planned to draw the Federal Government’s attention to the issue being debated in the country. All transport families and members will be at work to convey people to their various destinations without problem because the Lagos State government has announced some interventions in the sector.

“The Lagos State government has provided a conducive atmosphere for our operation. There is, therefore, no reason for us to join any strike that may threaten the peace of the state. The various palliative measures taken by the state government, especially the 50 per cent reduction of government public transports and a downward review of our yellow buses fares will also go a long way in cushioning the effect of the subsidy removal.

“We have also embarked on internal measures like downward reviews of Lagos State government and union tickets. With this, there will be a reduction in transport fares by commercial drivers.

“We at the Lagos State Parks and Garages, therefore, unequivocally say no to any form of strike or protest by the organised labour or any group. All our members are enjoined to go by their normal duties without any fear or intimidation.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the National broadcast of President Bola Tinubu shows that the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government lack focus and leadership to steer the country from troubled waters.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, said the broadcast was hurriedly put together to blackmail the organised labour divert attention from the “bad policies” of the government.

The main opposition party said the recourse to such “vacuous, illusory and showy mal-administration revealed lack of leadership ingenuity and focus in the management of the affairs of the nation.”

The spokesman said the PDP is appalled that the broadcast is “another litany of false promises hurriedly put together by his (Tinubu) handlers in the desperate bid to hoodwink and beguile Nigerians, blackmail Labour Fronts and divert public attention from the life-discounting experiences imposed by the APC government”.

“The broadcast is a horrifying reminder of APC’s bogus promises which include promised Three million jobs per year; Making Naira equal in value to the US Dollar; Provision of Small Business Loan Guarantee Scheme to create at least 5 million new jobs by 2019, among others.

“Nigerians are aware that the APC, with Senator Tinubu as National Leader, never fulfilled any of these promises, but rather remained unaccountable and turned our once prosperous nation to the poverty capital of the world where over 100 million citizens cannot afford their daily meals and other basic necessities of life.

“What then is the value of Senator Tinubu’s new promises of N75 billion for new jobs in 2024; N125 billion to SMEs; N50,000 each to 1,300 nano business and cultivation of 750,000 hectares of land for food, all without concrete policy and implementation plan, and which at best are openings for corrupt patronage and siphoning of public funds?” he said.

The party noted that a comprehensive review of the speech shows that it is merely aspirational and meant to mesmerize the citizens “as it is completely bereft of any concrete plans to tackle the energy crisis, production issues, monetary challenges and worsening insecurity in our country.

“It is instructive to observe from the speech, that the APC has no marshal plan to stimulate domestic crude refining as an answer to the crippling energy and manufacturing deficits in the country, instead the APC has committed our nation to the mercies of foreign interests and market forces.

“The submission in the speech that there are no other ways but for Nigerians to suffer hardship and high costs further exposes APCs scandalous cluelessness, lack of capacity and deficiency of innovative ideas to effectively steady and manage a nation like Nigeria.

“It also shows APC’s insensitivity to the suffering of Nigerians and lackadaisical approach to serious issues of governance. It is like the case of you take it or leave it! The APC should know that there is frustration in the society in the face of its apparent lack of ideas and leadership focus.”