By Becky Usman
Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, has revealed that statistical data indicates that the South-East geopolitical zone has incurred a loss of N4 trillion over a two-year period due to the sit-at-home order imposed by the separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Kalu made this statement during a meeting with the Ndigboamaka Progressive Markets Association in Lagos.
Kalu emphasized that the Monday sit-at-home order has had a detrimental impact on businesses and has significantly hindered economic growth in the five eastern states. He expressed his concern over the continuation of this order and stressed that it should not be allowed to persist.
The Deputy Speaker stated, “The existential threat to Igbo entrepreneurship and businesses now is the insecurity and sit-at-home problem in the South-East. The mutation of this problem is largely unfathomable. It is becoming a cankerworm that is eating deep into our collective fortune as a people.”
Kalu, as a representative of the Igbo people, urged honesty and sincerity in addressing the issue, acknowledging the pain and distress caused by the current state of affairs. He appealed to the business community to resist retreating from their endeavors and emphasized the need to find a resolution.
Citing statistical data, he revealed the staggering losses of N4 trillion incurred in the South-East alone over the past two years due to the sit-at-home order.
The Deputy Speaker’s remarks shed light on the detrimental effects of the sit-at-home order on the economy and entrepreneurship in the region, emphasizing the urgency to find a solution to this problem.