Commercial activities in Awka are yet to return to normal on Mondays despite several attempts by the Anambra State government to stop the Monday sit at home practice in the state. As usual, markets, banks, motor parks, and petrol stations remained shut this Monday.
ANN team went round the capital city of Awka today Monday 30th January 2023 to monitor the level of compliance. Some of the locations visited were Aroma, Regina junction, Temp site, Zik Avenue, Eke Awka and Amawbia.
Banks at the locations visited where found under locks and keys with costumers who came to withdraw cash left stranded as even the ATMs were not dispensing cash as at the time of filing this report.
Some of the filling station where locked and very few offices were opened. ANN who visited the popular Eke Awka market observed that not all traders opened their shops.
Mr. Johnpaul Okeke, a business man and Mrs Chika Ezeokafor a civil servant who came to withdraw at the Fidelity bank (Regina junction branch) expressed their frustration and bemoaned other negative effects the Monday sit-at-home have on citizens.
“Money is not being paid and withdrawn from banks, so it’s high time the people stopped this nonsense exercise before our economy finally crumbles. The closure of banks every Monday has continued to add to the burden of the people. I have been here for more than an hour now and no cash at the ATM. This is really frustrating,” They lamented.
Some of the customers waiting to withdraw the new naira notes expressed dissatisfaction over the unavailability of cash adding that the Monday Sit-at-home was making their condition unbearable.
“It appears our people have instituted Monday as a day of rest but those who enjoy it more are the lazy ones who will only rely on the hardworking people to feed without working for what they will eat and when they find no food, they turn to evil,” Mrs Theresa Ike told ANN.
MOOB filling station located opposite St Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral Awka was found open but it was not operational. One of the fuel attendants told ANN that they are selling at 325 naira as at yesterday (Sunday) but they are yet to commence sales today despite the fact that many vehicles were already lined up waiting.
Mr. Okechukwu Okonkwo, a commercial driver said the high cost of fuel was really disturbing and that getting fuel had become time consuming especially on Mondays because very few stations open.
A filling station opposite Nigeria postal service (NIPOST) in Awka was also dispensing petrol with many costumers waiting for their turn.
It would be recalled that the Governor of Anambra state Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, during a meeting with the civil servants in the state last December, promised that starting from January 2023, the workers in the state would be observing full working days of the week as the sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra would have become a thing of the past.
But despite this, the people have remained adamant as they still observe the sit-at-home order.
The ever-busy Onitsha-Owerri Road and the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway and other major roads in the state were found deserted with scanty vehicular movement.
