Opinion

Sit-At-Home; A South Eastern Holiday by Kalu Amarachi

In comparison to the other protests held earlier in the South East, the sit-at-home order lacks the violent nature the former possesses, hence may be the reason behind picking this manner of protest. However, it is not without its cons.

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Mondays are the start of a new week, full of the hustle and bustle of work life. Has it become just another day after Sunday? Is it now just an extension of the weekend? Funny as this may sound, this is the reality of the South Eastern people who do not have a choice but to sit at home, a holiday added to the weekend.

Sit-at-home

Except this holiday doesn’t grant to step outside your homes, this holiday comes with restrictions as a result of an order passed by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB on July 30 which became effective August 9, and has carried on for over a month.

Ghost Monday as it has been termed serves as a protest against the abduction of Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya, who is locked up in DSS custody, a violation of International Law. On this day, every activity is suspended and everyone sits at home. Workers don’t work, students don’t g to school, marketplaces are left desolate, even business owners can’t operate.

The sit-at-home protest at a time like this when the economy still hasn’t recovered from the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown is nothing more than a good choice at a terrible time. It would be insensitive towards the people to lockdown the South East on Mondays.

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In addition to that, this protest greatly affects those who rely on their handwork for daily survival. It serves as a double punishment to the people, it would impoverish the people and increase the rate of hunger in the zone.

On the 13th of August, Nnamdi Kanu had already asked for the suspension of the protest, for it to only occur on the days of his appearance in court. However, some people still enforce it, and the people keep observing it more out of fear than compliance. It would be wise to consider the economy of the southeast zone, so as not to create a major problem in the process of fighting for a cause.

Kalu Amarachi

Kalu Amarachi is an intern journalist with a keen interest in digital journalism, creative writing and story telling

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