Insecurity, Sit-At-Home Threaten South-East’s Trillion-Naira Budgets
By OBI DAVIES
Governance, Security and Investor Confidence Angle
Insecurity Clouds South-East’s Record Spending Plans
THE South-East governors’ plan to inject ₦5.7 trillion into regional development this year is facing a major test as the continued observance of Monday sit-at-home disrupts economic activity and weakens investor confidence.
Though the directive was originally issued in 2021 by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and later suspended, its psychological grip on residents appears to persist.
Big Budgets, Bigger Expectations
For the first time, multiple states in the region are proposing trillion-naira budgets, with a strong emphasis on infrastructure-led growth. However, these plans rely heavily on sharp increases in internally generated revenue.
Collectively, the states aim to raise over ₦1.3 trillion internally—more than four times what they generated in previous years.
Fear Still Governs Mondays
Despite security deployments and public assurances by governors, many residents still avoid movement on Mondays, citing fear of attacks and uncertainty. Markets remain partially closed, transport services are disrupted and inter-state travel is avoided.
According to observers, the uneven restoration of activities—limited mostly to state capitals—has failed to reassure the wider population or businesses operating across state lines.
Stakeholders Call for Regional Coordination
Legal and economic experts argue that without full coordination among the five states, individual efforts will yield limited results. They stress that businesses cannot operate optimally if services are unavailable across state boundaries on the same day.
Ebonyi State officials have acknowledged that even where sit-at-home has eased locally, the broader regional economy remains constrained.
Ideological Resistance Remains
Meanwhile, leaders of pro-Biafra movements insist that sit-at-home remains a legitimate expression of popular will, arguing that economic disruption will not deter the push for self-determination.
With governors divided between enforcement and political caution, analysts warn that unless decisive action restores confidence, the region’s development drive may stall.
