- Markets, banks other economic activities paralysed in Onitsha
From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Despite order and threat by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) to schools to shift their WAEC exams for today in complying with the sit-at-home order to honour Biafra fallen heroes, the exams went on unhindered in many schools monitored by our reporter.
Daily Sun gathered that the students, teachers and school management of the various schools taking part in the examination devised various means to outsmart the IPOB boys in order to ensure that they took the examinations.
While the all-boarding schools had a seamless arrangement by locking their gates and taking the exam in the various halls unhindered, other schools who operate day students arrangements made special arrangements for some of the students to sleep in a nearby place where they can easily access the school in the morning.
Others who trekked from their homes came to the school for the exams without wearing the school uniform. This idea the reporter learnt was to prevent unnecessary exposure to danger.
Schools like Mater Christi College, Awada, Eastern Academy, Onitsha, Stella Marris College, Umueri, St. Kizito College, Umudioka, St. Charles College, Onitsha among others visited by the reporter had their exams successfully though students from other non-exam classes did not attend school but all stayed at home.
One of the teachers at Stella Marris Umueri identified as Kaosisochukwu said they took those mart and precautionary moves to ensure that their students did not miss their exams knowing fully that other institutions outside the southeast that doesn’t observe any sit at home will carry on with their scheduled exams while those who missed their papers here will suffer the consequences later.
Meanwhile economic activities were paralyzed across different parts of Onitsha and environs as many people stayed at home in what they described as forced compliance for their own safety during the Biafran Heroes Day sit at home.
All major markets in Onitsha, Nkpor, Obosi and Ogbaru remained shut while most traders played football in the morning hours while other took to drinking joints in their locality to unwind for the day.
The busy Onitsha-Enugu expressway and the famous Upper Iweka always thickly populated with commuters all looked like ghost city as no vehicle was seen crossing. Though some people trekked to their various destinations, the roads were practically empty.