The Abia State Government has expressed concern over the continuing sit-at-home order, which may jeopardize Abia pupils’ ability to write the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE).
In a statement released on Monday, the State Commissioner for Information, John Okiyi Kalu, said the sit-at-home directive was allegedly sponsored and illegally enforced by a “group of hoodlums hiding under the identity of agitators in the South-East region to cause chaos in the state”
He characterized the act as deplorable, saying the state government would not allow any individual or organization to instill terror in its people to the point of severely compromising the education of innocent school students who are scheduled to write WASSCE on Monday, September 13 and Tuesday, September 14.
On Monday, the state’s security agencies were ordered to be fully deployed at all flashpoints and continue frequent patrols to guarantee the safety and protection of law-abiding people and visitors from any type of harassment.
According to the statement, “While we do not begrudge any citizen the right to sit at home or go about their normal duties, as long as it does not infringe on the rights of others, we cannot afford to sit idly and watch the future of our children jeopardized and the economic well-being of our people further wrecked over a matter we believe can be resolved judicially or through political negotiations.
“We, therefore, advise parents to ensure that their children go to WASSCE examination centers for their papers while teachers and examination supervisors are to ensure the protection of the children before, during, and after the examinations.
“Other citizens are also encouraged to go about their normal duties without fear of molestation and leaders of all markets and transport unions in the state are advised to ensure that markets are open and transport vehicles deployed by their members for regular activities on Monday and beyond unless otherwise advised by Government.”
The government has threatened that if any market or transportation union fails to function, they will be closed and disbanded until further notice.
