The Anambra State Government has announced that it will begin pro-rata salary payments for civil servants from February 2026, a major policy shift aimed at bringing an end to the long-running Monday sit-at-home across the state.
The Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, disclosed this on Saturday, January 24, during a media briefing in Awka. He said the decision was reached at the end-of-tenure retreat of the Anambra State Executive Council, where the government reviewed Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s first four years in office and outlined priorities for his new term, which begins on March 17, 2026.
Mefor explained that many public and civil servants have routinely stayed away from work on Mondays over the past four years, citing insecurity and transportation challenges. However, he said the retreat concluded that those conditions no longer exist and can no longer justify continued absenteeism.
According to him, the government opted for pro-rata salary payments instead of outright disciplinary measures.
“Ordinarily, this would amount to absenteeism, which attracts punishment under civil service rules,” Mefor said. “But rather than dismiss workers, the government has decided that salaries will be paid strictly according to attendance.”
He added that systems are already being put in place to ensure compliance, including attendance registers and clock-in, clock-out mechanisms specifically for Mondays.
The commissioner noted that the persistent Monday shutdown has significantly affected government productivity and the state’s economy, stressing that any day civil servants fail to report to work results in stalled government business and lost revenue.
“If revenue-generating agencies like the Internal Revenue Service do not operate on Mondays, the state loses funds, and there is no assurance those losses can be recovered,” he said.
Mefor described the new payment system as a fairness-driven and sustainable approach, stating that Anambra cannot afford to “give up Mondays” or shift official work to Saturdays, which he said would amount to yielding to the forces behind the sit-at-home.
He also revealed that the government is engaging market leaders to ensure full reopening of markets on Mondays, while security measures across the state continue to be strengthened to reassure traders and residents.
On how the pro-rata system will work, Mefor explained that monthly salaries will be calculated based on 24 working days, with workers paid only for the days they are physically present at work.
“Four years is enough.
The economic losses from the sit-at-home run into trillions of naira, according to an international firm. Implementation of this decision has already begun,” he said.
The latest move follows an earlier Executive Order by the state government abolishing Monday school closures. The directive warned that teachers and non-teaching staff who fail to report to work on Mondays risk losing 20 per cent or all of their monthly salary.
The order, dated January 22, 2026, was signed by the Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Board, Loveline Mgbemena, and circulated to education administrators across the state.
