CHAPTER ONE
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Introduction
Nigeria‘s history, since independence, is often characterized by security challenges occasioned by violent conflicts. Security challenges, since the return of democracy in 1999, have grown in leaps and bounds as conflicts of varying magnitude, scale, intensity, and dimension have, and are still bedeviling different parts of the country. These conflicts include environmental conflicts, communal conflicts, ethno-religious conflicts, acts of terrorism perpetrated by Boko-Haram, Fulani militia masquerading as herdsmen, and most of all the seat at home order in the southeast by Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).1 The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have been agitating for their self-determination since 2012. And the arrest and extradition of their supreme leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya heightened insecurity in South-East. IPOB initiated sit-at home order in South-East to create awareness locally and internationally in their bid to securing the release of their leader.
Historically, the struggle of the Proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB can be traced to the mid-1960s when newly independent Nigeria was affected by economic, political instability and ethnic crises.2 It was reported that several violent clashes occurred which include the killings of about 30,000 Igbos in Northern Nigeria in September 1966. All attempts to resolve these tensions proved abortive and subsequently, in May 1967, Eastern Nigeria unilaterally declared its independence from Nigeria as the Republic of Biafra, this consequently resulted in a civil war in which about1 to 3 million people died.3 In late 1969 and early 1970, the Biafrans continued in a series of engagements/struggles with the Nigerian government that resulted in civil war.4
Consequently, the then Biafran Leader (Odumegwu Ojukwu) fled to Cote d’Ivoire while the remaining Biafran soldiers surrendered to the Nigerian government on the 15th of January 1970; as a result of this, the Biafra struggle for independence totally collapsed and this consequently brought a total end to the first historical struggle towards the attainment of independence of Biafran Nation.5 In order to conceal the effect of the civil war, the military government of General Yakubu Gowon implemented the policy of no victor, no vanquished and Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation, 3Rs.6
However, the mismanagement of the policy was reportedly the main reason for the resurgence of Biafra uprisings in Nigeria’s current democratic dispensation.7 Consequently, the failure of the Nigerian government to acknowledge the marginalization of the Igbos/people in Southeast Nigeria was also reported as the catalyst for the formation of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the IPOB. IPOB emerged as an offshoot of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) formed by Raph. Uwazuruike; although, with the same objective.8 The rebirth of Biafra agitation by the IPOB was triggered by the nature of political imbalance and marginalization in Nigeria’s political systems which are at the detriment of the Southeast region. Sit-at-home order was introduced by the IPOB in June 2021 as a tool in achieving their aims when the leader of the group was arrested by the Nigerian government in Kenya and brought back to Nigeria. It is on this basis that IPOB spokesperson (Emma Powerful) declared every Monday, from the 9th of August 2021 as sit-at-home. Nevertheless, Sit-at-home was first introduced as an annual event to remember those who died in Nigeria’s Biafra war. The annual sit at home later transformed into a tool for achieving other goals including awareness of other Biafra-related issues.9 Thus, the sit-at-home order, usually observed on Mondays and other notable days by the group has become an alternative towards achieving Independent State of Biafra and as well as facilitating the release of their leader. Nevertheless, weekly days, particularly Mondays (the first business day of the week) are valuable to the Igbos and residents of the South-East region because what happens on that day would determine their business performance and activities for the week.
Consequently, it is imperative to note that the weekly declaration of Sit at home on Mondays and some other days have presumable effects on the socioeconomic/commercial activities in the major business areas/cities in the South-East region; such as the inflow of traders in the region from other part of the country, market operations, financial institutions in the major cities in Anambra State such as Onitsha, Awka, Aguata, Nnewi, Ekwulobia among others. IPOB’s sit-at home order in South-East Nigeria has great negative socio-economic implications on the people of the area.10 South-East economy was highly devastated. Foreign investments were eluded, insecurity, unemployment and underdevelopment became the order of the day as hoodlums hijacked the protest and committed series of atrocities in the region, hence the decline in economic activities, standard of education and high mortality rate. There is great need for dialogue geared towards securing the release of IPOB leader from detention so as to halt further devastating socio-economic effects of the sit-at-home order in South-East region. It is against this backdrop that this research project tended to interrogate the extent to which the activities of the IPOB via sit-at-home order have influenced/affected the Socio-economic development of the Anambra State between 2020 and 2022.11
Aim and Objectives
This study examines the Socio-economic impact of the seat at home order in Anambra state, while the specific objectives are;
- To examine the origin of the Proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra in Nigeria.
- To investigate the nature and dynamics of the Indigenous People of Biafra
- To ascertain the effects of IPOB Sit-at-home order on the social and economic fortune in Anambra state
To examine government efforts and challenges in tackling the insecurity situation in Anambra State