By Kamsi Anayo
Except for banks, schools, big markets, courts, local Government headquarters, among others, normalcy has gradually returned on roads, mini markets, workshops, factories, and hawkers are seen hawking their wares everywhere.
All urban road sides’ markets and those in the rural areas were booming with commercial activities.
Most roads were busy with vehicles plying to and from Onitsha, Awka, the state capital and Nnewi, the industrial hub of the State.
A driver who identified himself as Onyeham Madu, told our correspondent that the turn up in this Monday sit-at-home exercise was encouraging as every place was busy with vehicular and people’s movement, except for the schools, banks, big markets, courts, parks, among others.
“I don’t know what is holding the big markets, banks and schools from resumption so that the self made sit-at-home order will be a thing of the past. Since morning I have been plying Onitsha to Awka with full passengers and people are on the road without molestation.
“Before 6.30am I was on the road and till now I am still on the road. I even make more profit now because of the increase in the pump price of fuel. It is even better here in Anambra. In other States you hardly find fuel. We buy it from filling stations. Formerly the filling stations shut their stations but now you can easily go to any of them and refill your tank,” he stated.
In his own reaction, a student of Delta State University, who pleaded annonimity told our correspondent that he boarded a vehicle from Asaba, Delta state capital, to Upper Iweka, Onitsha, Anambra State at about 12pm.
“On getting to Upper Iweka, there were so many people and vehicles at Lagos park. Formerly you hardly get a vehicle to Onitsha. Mitsubishi commercial buses that ply Onitsha to Asaba are conspicuously on the road waiting for passengers.
“Food vendors and hawkers of various fruits and wears that include, shoes, clothes, belts, eye glasses, plastic items, among others, took over the entire place,” he stated.
At the Nkpor junction mini market, commercial buses plying Upper Iweka and tricycles, blocked the entire place, waiting for passengers even as market women who sell mostly perishables, cluster the junction attending to their customers.
Mrs Ngozi Ogbukam, a vegetable seller told this paper that there were more people than last Monday and attributed the large turn out to free movement stating that even if the unknown gunmen have left the state to other neighbouring states, security has been beefed up.
“Security is beefed up now in Anambra State by Gov. Chukwuma Soludo. So these hoodlums fled to save their lives. The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has also said that people obey non existent sit-at-home order,” she stated.
At Nkwo Nnewi Triangle market, business activities were in full swing except for the big markets that sell auto spare parts items that Nnewi is known for as the hub of industrial activities in the country.
A vulcanizer who did not want his name in the print said that he was tired of working on the vehicle tyres as many of the vehicles were worked upon today.
“I want to go home, I am tired of so many vehicle tyres I worked on today. You can see that the roads is so busy as if to say that there is no sit-at-home this Monday.
“It is fading out, people no longer talk of sit-at-home order. But the problem is that schools, most markets, banks, courts and others still remain shut. If they reopen now it will be over for sit-at-home order,” he posited.
