#EndBadGovernanceProtest: No Hunger Protest in Abia

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

The nationwide hunger protest did not hold in Abia State as no group took to the streets as directed by the organisers.

Instead, residents of the state opted to stay at home and observe the unfolding events in other parts of the country.

The streets were empty and most shops at the city centre were closed for the fear of the unknown. But in the inner parts of the city shop owners were doing their businesses.

In fact, day one of the hunger strike was observed like the Monday sit at home and not as a national day of rage.

Banks, as has become customary at any hint of protest closed their gates and doors to customers.

The situation was the same in Aba, the commercial hub of the state which is also the hotbed of the state in protests and demonstration of anger against governments.

However, after the initial wait and see attitude in the morning hours, the streets of oth Umuahia and Aba came alive later in the afternoon.

The State Governor, Alex Otti had in a statewide broadcast 48 hours before the commence of the day of protest, appealed to Abia residents not to join the protest.

He called on them to adopt the “principle of self restraint”, saying that they should not participate in a protest which has the potential to push the nation on the “path of uncertainty”.