House Deputy Speaker Reiterates Call on South-east to Reject Sit-at-Home Order

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has lamented that the “sit-at-home’’ order being imposed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) was impeding the growth and development of the South-east region, and urged the people to reject it.
Kalu stated this in Abuja when he received a delegation from Aba Creatives Collective, the organisers of the Aba Fashion Show, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office at the National Assembly Complex.

The event, which is aimed at showcasing the creativity of fashion designers and enthusiasts in Abia State, is held every December.
In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Press Affairs, Udora Orizu, the deputy speaker commended the delegation on the initiative, saying that it perfectly aligns with the objectives of highlighting the rich cultural heritage and artistic talents of Abia people.

While noting that the event also presents a unique opportunity to harness the potentials of the untapped fashion industry to drive economic growth, Kalu, however, said the issue of insecurity in the region has been a great challenge.
According to him, the sit-at-home agenda of non-state actors has led to the loss of manpower, increasing unemployment, and exodus of investors from the region.

He, therefore, urged the South-east to reject the sit-at-home agenda, and the fear instilled in the people by “these faceless individuals who don’t mean any good for the indigenes”.
Kalu said: “I am genuinely excited about Aba Fashion Week, an initiative that promotes our local economy. I know what fashion, fashion designing, tailoring anything that has to do with clothing can do to an economy because we talk about the three basic needs of man, shelter, food, and clothing.

“The economic losses that the region has suffered by the sit-at-home agenda of the non-state actors have integrated impediments to regional growth, regional economic integration, even into our regional leadership integration and into regional development integration. It has affected the fabric of everything that we hold dearly. Now fashion designers are feeling the direct impacts because investors are saying the place is not activated for our investment.