The Anambra State Government has announced that it will begin pro rata salary payments to public servants from February 2026, as part of a renewed strategy to end the long-standing Monday sit-at-home that has continued to disrupt official activities across the state.
The decision was disclosed in Awka by the Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, who explained that the policy was approved during the end-of-tenure retreat of the Anambra State Executive Council, where the performance of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration over the past four years was reviewed ahead of the new term beginning in March.
According to the commissioner, civil servants in the state had for years routinely stayed away from work on Mondays, largely due to security concerns and transportation challenges that prevailed in the past. He noted, however, that those conditions no longer exist, making continued absenteeism unjustifiable.
Mefor said the government observed that many workers had continued to enjoy full salaries despite failing to report for duty on Mondays, a situation he described as unsustainable and unfair to the state’s economy. He stressed that while such behaviour could ordinarily attract disciplinary measures under civil service regulations, the government opted for a corrective approach rather than punitive sanctions.
Under the new arrangement, workers’ salaries will be calculated based on actual attendance, with any absence on Mondays resulting in deductions. He explained that mechanisms have already been put in place for workers to formally clock in and out on Mondays to ensure accurate records of attendance.
The commissioner warned that consistent absence from work has continued to slow government operations and weaken revenue generation, noting that every missed workday translates into stalled public services and economic losses that cannot always be recovered.
He further stated that the government could not continue to encourage markets, traders, and the informal sector to resume activities on Mondays while its own workforce remained absent. According to him, adopting Saturdays as workdays would amount to surrendering to the sit-at-home order and would place Anambra at odds with standard national work practices.
Mefor disclosed that discussions were ongoing with market leaders to ensure the reopening of markets on Mondays, while security arrangements were also being strengthened to restore confidence among traders and residents.
On the salary structure, he explained that monthly wages would be divided by the official number of working days to determine individual entitlements, ensuring that payment reflects actual productivity and attendance.
He described the sit-at-home as having inflicted enormous economic damage on the state over the years, insisting that the government had resolved to bring the situation to an end through firm but fair administrative measures.
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