The Imo State Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Simon Ebegbulem, has expressed disgust over what he described as “colossal damage to Igbo businesses across the South-East in the last couple of years”.

He warned that the state government would henceforth shut down businesses, including banks, that failed to open for businesses as from Monday.

Addressing journalists in Owerri Friday, Ebegbulem extolled the strides of the Gov. Hope Uzodimma’s administration, stressing that the governor had continued to bring development and deliver on the dividends of democracy to the people in the last close to four years.

He likened the Monday sit-at-home across the South-East to a poisonous arrow, noting that it was designed to impoverish the masses.

He said the government had rolled out palliatives for the people from across the 27 local governments, to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal and its attendant challenges, ahead of further intervention by the Federal Government.

Ebegbulem said Governor Uzodimma had directed relevant agencies to review stocks’ availability and start responding to the plight of the people, particularly those in the most vulnerable category.

“Governor Uzodimma has drawn up plans and distributing palliatives. We ascertain that the most vulnerable at the moment are PLWDs. Because they are the ones that go out to beg or do some menial jobs in order to put food on their table. This is across the 27 local governments.

“Each beneficiary will go home with 10kg of rice, 12.5kg of beans, 10kg of maize, spaghetti, salt, seasoning and other essentials. Besides, high discount pavilions will be opened all around, to allow people buy essentials, at subsidised rates,” he said.