Kalu Urges Igbos to Reject Sit-at-Home Order

Deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has said the “sit-at-home’’ order by the Indigenous People of Biafra is impeding the growth and development of the South East region.

Kalu stated this when he received a delegation from Aba Creatives Collective, organisers of the Aba Fashion Show who paid him a courtesy visit at the weekend.

In a statement signed by his special assistant on press affairs, Udora Orizu, the deputy speaker commended the delegation on the initiative, saying it perfectly aligned with the objective of highlighting the rich cultural heritage and artistic talents of Abia people.

While noting that the event also presents a unique opportunity to harness potentials of the untapped fashion industry to drive economic growth, Kalu, however, said the issue of insecurity in the region had been a great challenge.

According to him, the sit-at-home agenda of non-state actors has led to loss of manpower, increasing unemployment and exodus of investors from the region.

The deputy speaker urged the Igbo to reject the sit-at-home agenda, and say no to the fear sold by faceless individuals who don’t mean any good for the indigenes.

He said; “I am genuinely excited about the Aba Fashion Week, an initiative that promotes our local economy. I know what fashion, fashion designing, tailoring anything that has to do with clothing can do to an economy because we talk about the three basic needs of man—shelter, food and clothing.

“The economic losses the region has suffered through the sit-at-home agenda of the non-state actors has integrated impediments to regional growth, regional economic integration, even into our regional leadership integration and into regional development integration. It has affected the fabric of everything that we hold dearly. Now fashion designers are feeling the direct impacts because investors are saying the place is not activated for our investment.

“And the pain in your hearts is the same pain that is felt by those in all sectors of our economy, in the agricultural sector they are crying because post-harvest productions that are supposed to be taken to the markets are destroyed at home due to sit at home. The educational sector is suffering because students can no longer go to school freely, without fear,” he said.

Earlier, the team led by Chinyere Akataobi told Kalu that they visited to congratulate him on his emergence as deputy speaker and solicit his support at the upcoming event.