Sit-At-Home Order and Public Service Delivery in Enugu State (2021-2023)

Abstract

As a means to drive home its demand for some kinds of restructuring, the group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) invented a sit-at-home order in the year 2021. This order directs the residents of the South-East region to stay at home on a given or set of days. These orders became frequent and intensive after the group’s leader was detained by the federal government, which led to Mondays of every week permanently regarded as sit-at-home days in the region. While these sit-at-home orders were on and complied with by the people of the region, observers have noticed potential ripple effects across the social and economic lives of the people. It is on this note that this study was conducted to investigate the effect this compliance to the sit-at-home order have on public service delivery in Enugu State. It was guided by three specific objectives and three corresponding research questions and hypotheses, which sought the reasons why residents of Enugu State complied to IPOB’s sit-at-home order; the extent to which their compliance affected access to education and healthcare services in the state. The study adopted descriptive survey design. A structured questionnaire designed by the researchers was used for data collection. Data collected were analysed using simple percentage rating while hypotheses were tested using Chi-square statistical tool. It was revealed that fear of violence is the major reason people comply with the sit-at-home orders. Sympathy/solidarity with IPOB is partly another reason why some people complied. It was also revealed that to a great extent, the compliance to the sit-at-home order limited access to education and healthcare services. The study recommended among other things that the federal government should continue to dialogue with the proscribed group (IPOB) on the best way to restructure Nigeria and how South East would continue to stay as part of the indivisible Nigeria.