July 28, (THEWILL) – The Imo State Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Comrade Simon Ebegbulem, has decried the damage which the illegal sit-at-home has done to Igbo businesses across the South East in the last couple of years, warning that the state government will shut down businesses including banks, who fail to open for businesses from Monday next week.
Addressing a world press conference in Owerri, Imo State capital on Thursday, Ebegbulem extolled the strides of the Governor Hope Uzodimma-led administration, asserting that the governor has continued to bring development and deliver on the dividends of democracy to the people of the state in the last close to four years.
He likened the Monday sit-at-home campaign across the South-East to a poisonous arrow, adding that it was designed to impoverish the poor masses and aimed at destroying their means of livelihood.
He disclosed that the government has already rolled out palliatives to the people of the state, from across the 27 local government areas, to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal and its attendant challenges, ahead of further intervention by the Federal Government.
According to him, the State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has directed relevant agencies to review stocks’ availability and start responding to the plight of the the people of the state, particularly those in the most vulnerable category.
“Governor Hope Uzodimma has already drawn up plans and distributing palliatives. We ascertain that, the most vulnerable at the moment are PLWDs. Because they are the one that go out to beg or do some menial jobs in order to put food in their table. This is across the 27 local councils.
“Each beneficiary would go home with 10kg of rice, 12.5kg of beans, maize 10kg, spaghetti, salt and seasoning and other essentials. Aside that, high discount pavilions will be open all around, to allow people buy essentials at subsidised rate”, he stated.
He added that the distribution would go on to other categories of people according to the magnitude of their vulnerability.
He warned that the authorities will have no other option than to shut any market cluster or group that disrupt free flow of businesses in the state.
He stated: “The government cannot standby and watch our people, particularly the masses as they are daily impoverished and pushed under. We must disregard one Simon Ekpa, who is far away in Finland enjoying with his family and dishing out orders to destroy our economy and impoverish our people.
“In a most competitive world, this action is most unfair to Ndi-Imo…do they want to shred us of our dignity. We are known as astute business people, and now, you want to take that away from us. It’s unfair.
“His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodimma has however remained undaunted and unrelenting. His achievements in all areas of development…in all ramifications, under four years continue to attest to this. More is coming.
“It is the masses that have continued to suffer the brunt of the sit-at-home. Please, let us allow reason prevail. What the enemies want is to stop government from distributing palliatives to our people in the rural areas and we will not allow that to happen. Imo is secured, security agencies are doing very well to help us therefore our people should not be intimidated because government is there to provide security for the.
He commended the Senate, over its resolution condemning the Monday sit-at-home campaign, saying it was the right thing to have done.
