Yuletide: Lawmaker, Onuzuruike urges Abia govt to lift curfew

The member representing Umuahia North Constituency at the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon Kelechi Onuzuruike, has made a case for the lifting of the existing curfew imposed by the state government.

DAILY POST recalls that the Abia State Government had imposed a curfew in the state earlier this year, between the hours of 12 am to 6 am in response to the security challenges prevalent in the southeast aftermath of the EndSARS protests held across the region and other parts of the country.

However, Hon Onuzuruike while presenting a matter of urgent public importance to the house during its plenary sitting in Umuahia, on Wednesday, said that there is an existing curfew order in the state which was in response to the insecurity prevalent in the southeast region.

The lawmaker explained that “the curfew restricts movement from 12 am to 6 am. We are in the yuletide season and many well-meaning Abia sons and daughters will travel from their places of residence to the state, it is therefore imperative to lift the curfew to ease their ingress into the state.

“Businesses that thrive at night particularly the hospitality business in Abia state have suffered a dearth of patronage due to the curfew, it is also pertinent to lift the curfew in order to cushion the economic losses of these business owners and save the jobs of Abians in their employ,” he said.

He also explained that the yuletide season is typically characterized by celebratory functions some of which are better suited for the night or late evening.

Hon Onuzuruike further said that the Yuletide season is typically characterized by celebratory functions some of which are better suited for the night or late evening.

Onuzuruike further submitted that lifting the curfew will serve to allow the populaces to attend these social functions and ease the undue pressure of driving recklessly to beat the curfew time which in most cases have resulted in the last of lives and valuable property.

He also emphasised that Abia State shares boundaries with other states and that during the yuletide, residents of other states can only access their respective states through Abia and that lifting the curfew will function to aid their passage through the state to their respective states without undue restriction.

His words, “It is true that the curfew was imposed for security reasons, however, the security agencies must put in place the necessary security framework that will ensure the security of Abians if the curfew is lifted”.

Meanwhile, the Abia House of Assembly has resolved and called on the executive arm of government led by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to consider the lifting of the curfew to ensure a hitch-free yuletide.