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Anambra salary reform targets Monday sit-at-home as government links pay to attendance from February 2026.

The Anambra State Government has announced a major change to its salary policy, introducing pro-rata payments for civil servants as part of efforts to end the long-standing Monday sit-at-home across the state.

The policy will take effect from February 2026, according to the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, who disclosed the decision during a press briefing in Awka on Saturday.

Mefor explained that the decision was reached during the end-of-tenure retreat of the Anambra State Executive Council, where Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s first four years in office were reviewed and priorities were set for his second term, which begins on March 17, 2026.

He said the government observed that many civil servants had consistently stayed away from work on Mondays for nearly four years, often blaming insecurity and transportation challenges. 

However, the retreat concluded that those conditions no longer exist and cannot justify continued absenteeism.

According to the commissioner, workers continued to enjoy full salaries despite failing to report to duty, a situation he described as unsustainable.

Rather than applying strict disciplinary measures allowed under civil service rules, the government chose a different approach by linking pay directly to attendance.

Under the new arrangement, monthly salaries will be calculated based on 24 working days, meaning workers will only be paid for the days they are physically present at work. 

Attendance will be monitored through a clock-in and clock-out system, especially on Mondays.

Mefor warned that the continued shutdown every Monday has hurt government operations and weakened the state’s economy. 

He noted that when key agencies, including revenue-generating offices, fail to operate, the state loses income that may never be recovered.

He added that Anambra cannot afford to abandon Mondays or shift official work to Saturdays, describing such options as giving in to the forces behind the sit-at-home.

The commissioner also revealed that the government is engaging market leaders to ensure full reopening of markets on Mondays, while security efforts are being strengthened to restore confidence among traders and residents.

He disclosed that economic losses linked to the sit-at-home policy run into trillions of naira, based on estimates by an international firm, stressing that the government has already begun implementing corrective measures.

This latest move follows an earlier executive directive ending Monday school closures in the state. The order warned that teachers and non-teaching staff who fail to report to work on Mondays risk losing 20 percent or even their entire monthly salary.

The directive, dated January 22, 2026, was signed by Loveline Mgbemena, Secretary of the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board, and circulated to education authorities across the state.