By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Anambra State was on Friday devoid of the pomp and pageantry synonymous with Nigeria’s Independence Day celebration.

In place of the celebration was a ghost town occasioned by a sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Primary and post-primary institutions, the military, paramilitary and civil society organisations as well as the State Governor, Willie Obiano, failed to show up for the usual march past at the Ekwueme Square.

A visit to Ekwueme Square showed that canopies, seats and public address system were already arranged in the place as early as 10am.

A handful of armed policemen with their vehicles were seen in and around the place with less than 10 civilians suspected to be in charge of arranging the venue.

However, no military, paramilitary school or civil society organisations that usually performed the ceremonial march past came to the place.

The team that brought the public address system began to dismantle the equipment about 1:25pm suggesting that they received signal that the event will not hold.

One of the ladies dismantling the equipment simply said: “It is like people will not come and we are arranging our things.”

Earlier in a statement to mark Nigeria’s 61st Independence, Governor Obiano said that the state and nation were at a very critical period of their evolution as a free society.

He said: “Almost every day, we witness events that test our patience as members of a sane society and our resolve as those charged with the responsibility of providing leadership to our people.

“We are confronted by the sight of evil and the brazen display of callousness that is alien to our people.

“We see our brothers and sister bleed to death from wounds inflicted by their fellow compatriots. And we are forced to ask ourselves, ‘who is the enemy’?”

Obiano called on Anambra people to be more patriotic and help in tackling incidences of insecurity.

He maintained that Nigeria’s Independence was a long drawn battle; fought with so much brain and brawn.

Obiano, who expressed sadness that after 61 years, Nigeria is still enmeshed in a different kind of battle, observed that it is not a battle with external aggressors but a battle with enemies within.

He warned those behind the violent acts in the saying that the state government would resist the act being created for the impression of chaos in Anambra.

“With 37 days away from November 6 date for Anambra governorship election, strange desperation among the political class leading to acts that are not only inimical to the regime of peace, but a threat to democracy.

“The ploy by desperate political leaders is to wet the ground and provide a perfect alibi for electoral malpractices. We are aware of this plot; and we shall resist it with all our might,” he said.

When contacted, Mr C-Don Adinuba, the State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, said that he just returned from official duty outside the state.

“I must frankly tell you that I do not know if usual activities for the independence would hold because I am just returning from a trip outside the state,” he stated.

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