Last week, Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano sat with bank heads in the state with security chiefs. His mission was singular, get banks opened and the economy working against the Mondays’ sit-at-home across the states of the South East.
He came with carrots and he came with sticks. He promised to give the banks adequate security to guard them as they work. He also made it clear, if you stay out of work on Monday the 13th of September 2021, we will shut you down for the rest of the week ending 17th September 2021.
And then if the same bank(s) do not open on the Monday of 20th September 2021, they would be shut down indefinitely. For many who are wary or incensed or impoverished by the sit-at-home, banks’ opening would be a welcome development, an indicator that the sit-at-home “madness” was nearing its end.
But it didn’t happen. Banks shun Obiano’s order/directive/threat. Banks failed to open.
Eye-witnesses in Onitsha, Nnewi, Ekwulobia, Oko, and Umunze said no banks opened for operations in those cities and towns. No microfinance bank, too, opened. It was lockdown as usual for them. Total lockdown.
Read this – Eleven reasons regular sit-at-home is self-destructive to the South East
Anaedoonline reached out to a management personnel of one of the commercial banks (bank name withheld for obvious reasons) and he said they were still waiting for the security men promised them by the governor of the state to protect their facility. The time was 11.48 AM.
We reached out to him at past 1 PM and he said they were still awaiting the security detail. The security never came. The bank didn’t open. No bank opened.
It later emerged that some banks in the capital Awka opened. It’s uncertain whether they opened for business or did that to appease the governor who went on a tour of selected market places and banks.
IPOB insists that they are no longer interested in nor enforcing the Mondays sit-at-home. And truly, there are no IPOB foot soldiers chasing people off the road. People who could still go about their businesses. But many couldn’t or wouldn’t as their is fear of IPOB attacks.
Actually, it could as well be that IPOB is actually behind the incessant sit-at-home and only denying it in the press in a good cop, bad cop format. The oldest trick in the books, but if it works, why not?
One trick that has failed to work is the Obiano threat. Banks did not open and we all await the consequence(s). With bated breath.
Connect with us on Facebook
Post Disclaimer
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author and forum participants on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Anaedo Online or official policies of the Anaedo Online.