From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State Government has come out strongly to warn hoodlums in the state who have taken it upon themselves to enforce the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) sit-at-home order, even when it was suspended, saying government would no longer sit idly and watch these miscreants cause chaos in the state.
The state government made it categorically clear that it would not allow any individual or group to instil fear in her people to the extent that will jeopardize future of her children and further wreck the economic well-being of the people over a matter it said could be resolved judicially or through political negotiations.
In a statement titled, WASCE: We must not jeopardise our children’s future and signed by the Commissioner for Information Chief John Okiyi-Kalu, government said, “Our attention has been drawn to the lingering sit-at-home reportedly endorsed and illegally enforced by a group of hoodlums hiding under the identity of agitators in the southeast region to cause chaos in the State.
“We wish to state that it is unacceptable to allow any individual or group to instil fear in our people to the extent of negatively impacting the education of our innocent school children who are billed to write the compulsory English examination of the West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) on Monday, 13th September and Tuesday, 14th September, and on the rights of other law abiding citizens.
“While we do not begrudge any citizen the right to sit at home or go about their normal duties, as long as it does not infringe on the rights of others, butwe cannot afford to sit idly and watch the future of our children jeopardized and the economic well-being of our people further wrecked over a matter we believe can be resolved judicially or through political negotiations.
“We cannot continue to cut our nose to spite our face!”