THE GUARDIAN
By 9th August, this year, it would have been 730 days since the South-east region began to observe the weekly sit-at-home exercise as declared by proponents of separatist state of Biafra, to press for the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Of the 730 days, every Monday, beginning from August 9, 2021 had been observed as sit-at-home in the region, thus grounding economic activities in the region and causing the region an estimated loss of N7.6 trillion in productivity, potential investments as well as loss of lives and properties.
Since the commencement of the exercise in 2021 and this year, 105 Mondays of the 520 working days have been lost in terms of productivity or any real economic activity. This leaves the South-east region with 415 days in which her people are expected to go to work. Of the remaining 415 days, public holidays declared by the government further deplete the available productivity period in the region.
Investigation by The Guardian showed that since the Monday sit-at-home started, productivity has seriously dwindled in the region; jobs are threatened; there is loss of confidence by investors; insecurity has increased; and there is a near collapse in the infrastructure of the region with the attendant spike in social vices.
Despite assurances from the newly-inaugurated governors, the people have remained adamant and stayed indoors to avoid becoming victims of the lawless group enforcing the sit-at-home order.
An investigation sponsored by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) published in May this year on the economy of the region as a result of sit-at-home revealed a whopping N5.375 trillion loss by businesses between August 9, 2021 to December 19, 2022.
But an Economic and Financial Expert, Dr Chiwuike Uba, stated that southeast had lost “approximately N7.646 trillion between August 2021 and July 2023 having lost 101 days within the period”.
He stated that it was incontrovertible that the economy of the southeast is bleeding from the compulsory Monday sit at home.
“It is important to note that the amount may be higher when all the direct and indirect costs of the sit-at-home are included in the basket. The current figure represents mainly the losses of microenterprises in…
