The Senate on Wednesday condemned the “sit at home” protest in the southeastern part of the country in totality as well as the nefarious activities of Simon Ekpa, urging the Nigerian Government to collaborate with the Finnish Government to extradite Simon Ekpa for prosecution.
This is part of the prayers of a motion by Senator Izunaso, Osita Bonaventure representing Imo West on Condemning the Disruptive Nature of ‘Sit-At-Home’ Demonstrations in the South Eastern part of Nigeria.
Presenting the motion before the Senate plenary, Mr Izunaso said that thousands of Innocent lives have been lost since this action started, and properties worth over a Trillion have been destroyed which has resulted in investors leaving the region;
He further explained that the “sit-at-home” civil disobedience actions in the South East have led to the disruption/destruction of economic activities as well as immeasurable financial losses for businesses.
Arguing that with this situation, workers and the local economy are being crippled and forced to stay at home and businesses remain closed, productivity declines and income is reduced, thereby affecting livelihoods and economic growth;
The lawmaker also noted that the “sit-at-home” protests disrupt the education of students, leading to missed classes and delays in academic progress and such trend have long-term effects on students’ learning outcomes and educational development;
Senator Izunaso disturbed that disruption of essential public services, such as healthcare, transportation, and waste disposal, continues to have a severe impact during “sit-at-home” protests which adversely affect the well-being and safety of the general population living in the South East;
However, the Senate then urged the Federal Government to use a political solution approach in handling the case of Nnamdi Kanu; and Invite the Minister of Foreign Affairs (when appointed) and relevant stakeholders to carry out a thorough investigation as well as bring other sponsors of the act to book.
Bashir M
