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By Iheanyi Chukwudi
Candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the March 18 governorship election in Enugu state, Frank Nweke Jr. has advised the Governor Peter Mbah-led government of the state to work to earn the trust of the citizens.
The former Minister of Information and Culture also admonished Governor Mbah and his government not allow themselves to be lured into taking actions that will be counterproductive to the efforts at ending sit-at-home in the state.
Nweke who apparently was reacting to the sealing of people’s shops and private business premises that were not opened on Monday by the state government, warned that “Government should not be baited by non state actors into coercive actions that may be counterproductive.”
The APGA governorship candidate it can be recalled recently withdrew his election petition against Mbah at the Governorship election Petition Tribunal sitting in Enugu, on personal reasons.
In statement he titled “Unraveling the Monday sit-at-home quagmire in Enugu State,” Nweke
commended Mbah’s government for working to end the illegal sit-at-home but warned it be mindful of actions taking towards achievement of the goal.
Nweke Jr. who ran an issue-based campaign in the. last election, expressed worry over government's action questioning how a government that was appealing to the people to come out on Mondays and go about their duties would at the same time seal their shops and offices forcing them to sit down at home.
Nweke statement reads in parts, “Unraveling the ‘Monday sit-at-home' in Enugu is a classic leadership quagmire. It mimics the dilemma of the tsetse fly perched on the scrotum - swatting the fly without due care may crush the testicles. Doing nothing does not preserve the twin balls, either. Yet, something must be done.
“The sit-at-home order by renegades is destructive. It undermines the rights of citizens to free movement and pursuit of their social and economic endeavours.
No benefit can come out of this obnoxious imposition. Government is right in working to end it “Sealing businesses, however, for not opening to business further compels the shop owners to ‘sit at home’. Just, what you don’t want.
“Our people sit at home on Mondays out of fear for dear life. Businesses are set up for profit. No benefit, therefore, accrues in the owners shutting their businesses. Each day that owners sit at home undermines their business and profit and survival.
However, it is only someone who is alive that can open a business to make a profit. There are genuine reasons to be fearful.
“The ongoing efforts by the government are commendable. In addition to mobilizing the security services, the government must work to earn the trust of citizens. Trust cannot be earned by force. It cannot be decreed. Overturning these two years of fear will require some level of patience.
“I urge empathy, constructive engagement, and demonstrable efforts to protect citizens in a way that they can see and feel, in order to progressively restore normalcy to the state.”
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