Special to USAfrica magazine (Houston) and USAfricaonline.com, first Africa-owned, US-based newspaper published on the Internet.
Soludo’s directive against stay-at-home-orders goes into effect Monday
Within the next 24 hours, specifically, on Monday March 28, 2022, the directive issued by the recently sworn-in Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, for government employees to shun the Mondays stay-at-home orders will go into effect.
The memo issued on March 25 by the Anambra Head of Service, Mrs. Theodora Igwegbe stated that: “Following the need to reposition the service for better performance and productivity, His Excellency, the governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has directed that henceforth, all public servants should report at their places of work every Monday as every other weekday.”
The Monday sit-at-home orders, apparently and reportedly, issued by different non-state actors, were initially mandated and enforced by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, to protest the Nigerian federal government’s trial of the IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu remained an intractable challenge to the Governors in the Igbo south east. It led to several clashes with government security personnel and agencies.
The memo warned “Consequently, absence from work on Mondays, or any other workday without any approval, will be viewed as serious misconduct, which will attract appropriate sanctions. This directive takes immediate effect”.
Soludo, whose gpvernorship began on March 17, lamented during his campaign for the office that the weekly Monday sit-at-home orders (especially in 2021) left a very negative impact on the South East. He estimated a loss of almost N20billion every Monday.
The IPOB order at the time, effectively, shut down offices, government agencies, ministries, commercial transactions, educational institutions, primary and secondary schools, trasportation services and other activities. The IPOB later rescinded their order and absolved itself and its members from any further effort to enforce sit-at-home orders since October 2021.
USAfrica notes that Gov. Soludo has substantial goodwill that should motivate a successful return to a normal Monday schedule for workers and business. Special report from USAfricaonline.com reporters in Onitsha and Awka.
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