By Our Reporter
AWKA (CONVERSEER) – The Anambra State government has announced that it will begin pro‑rata salary payments for civil servants from February 2026, marking a major policy shift aimed at ending the long‑running Monday sit‑at‑home across the state.
The Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, disclosed the decision during a briefing in Awka on Saturday, January 24. He explained that the policy was adopted at the end‑of‑tenure retreat of the Anambra State Executive Council, convened to review Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s first four years in office and set priorities for his new term beginning March 17, 2026.
According to Mefor, public and civil servants in Anambra have routinely stayed away from work on Mondays for the past four years, citing insecurity and transportation challenges. He said the retreat concluded that those conditions no longer exist and can no longer justify absenteeism.
“The workers were simply enjoying the sit‑at‑home because they knew they would be paid whether they came to work or not,” he said. “Ordinarily, this should be treated as absenteeism, which is punishable under civil service rules. But instead of dismissals, the government has opted for pro‑rata payment.”
He added that mechanisms are already being put in place to ensure compliance, including attendance forms for clocking in and out every Monday.
Mefor stressed that the persistent Monday shutdown has had a damaging effect on government productivity and the state’s economy.
“Any day civil servants fail to come to work, government business stagnates. Revenue is lost, and there is no guarantee such losses can be recovered,” he said. “If agencies like the Internal Revenue Service stay away on Mondays, the state loses significant funds.”
He described the new salary structure as a move toward fairness and sustainability, arguing that Anambra cannot afford to “give up Mondays” or switch to Saturday work, which he said would amount to surrendering to the forces behind the sit‑at‑home.
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The commissioner also revealed that discussions are ongoing with market leaders to ensure that markets reopen fully on Mondays, while the government continues to strengthen security to reassure traders.
On the calculation of the new payment system, Mefor explained that salaries will be divided across 24 working days, with workers earning only for the days they are present.
“Four years is enough. The economic loss from the sit‑at‑home runs into trillions, according to an international firm. Implementation of this decision has already begun,” he said.
This development follows an earlier Executive Order issued by the state government abolishing Monday school closures. The order warned that teachers and non‑teaching staff who fail to report to work on Mondays risk losing 20% or all of their monthly salary. The directive, dated January 22, 2026, was signed by Loveline Mgbemena, Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Board, and circulated to all education administrators across the state.
