In an effort to put a stop to the long-running Monday sit-at-home protests around the state, the Anambra State government has declared that it will start paying pro rata salaries to civil officials in February 2026.
At a conference in Awka on Saturday, January 24, Dr. Law Mefor, the Commissioner for Information, revealed the ruling. He clarified that the policy was approved during the Anambra State Executive Council’s end-of-tenure retreat, which was held to assess Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s first four years in office and establish goals for his upcoming term that will start on March 17, 2026.
For the past four years, public and civil personnel in Anambra have consistently skipped work on Mondays, blaming transport issues and insecurity, according to Mefor. He said the retreat concluded that those conditions no longer exist and can no longer justify absenteeism.
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Because they knew they would be paid whether they showed up for work or not, the employees were just enjoying their time at home, he claimed. Normally, this would be considered absenteeism, which is illegal under civil service regulations. However, the government has chosen pro rata payment in place of terminations.
He continued by saying that systems are already in place to guarantee compliance, such as attendance forms for Monday clock-in and clock-out.
Mefor emphasised that the state’s economy and government productivity have suffered as a result of the ongoing Monday shutdown.
“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.
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.
