Chief David Umahi, the chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum and the governor of Ebonyi State, said on Sunday that the governors of the region are ready to battle against the IPOB sit-at-home directive, which he described as “devilish and foolish.”

Umahi expressed concern that the Indigenous People of Biafra’s (IPOB) command to stay at home, if not halted by the five governors of the region, will hamper economic progress and drive away investors from the southeast.

The governor demanded the immediate repossession of establishments owned by merchants who refuse to open their doors for business on Monday, April 15.

He also demanded the immediate dismissal of civil servants who failed to report to work on Monday, and he urged security commanders in the southeast region to dispatch security forces to the streets to prevent a breach of law and order.

The Governor made this statement while speaking to members of the All Progressive Congress (APC), stakeholders emergency meeting, which was held at the ecumenical center in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State.

He said, “Any trader that does not open up their shops for businesses will be taken over by the government. The Southeast region is gradually being destroyed by IPOB sit-at-home. We have to fight it. We have to say no to that.

“You have to listen to me. A lot of federal agencies have placed Ebonyi state on red alert. I Give you an example, it took me going to Abuja to convince the aviation industry to do some approval to our airport.

“Southeast is under red alert as a result of IPOB sit-at-home and it is out of foolishness,” he added.

“Many civil servants did not go to work, we decided not to pay them, but the spirit of God prevailed and we forgave everybody. But tomorrow’s own, anybody that fails to go to work, will seize to be a civil servant in Ebonyi,” he warned.