…“It is a decision of Anambra state government, and implementation has already commenced.”
ANAMBRA, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | The Anambra State Government has announced the introduction of a pro-rata salary payment system for workers across the state as part of measures aimed at ending the long-running Monday sit-at-home linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The government said that from February 2026, civil servants’ salaries will be paid based on the number of days worked in the month.
Speaking to journalists in Awka on Saturday, the Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, said the decision was reached during the end-of-tenure retreat of the Anambra State Executive Council (ANSEC).
Mefor explained that salaries would be calculated using the 24 official working days in a month, with each worker’s pay divided accordingly to determine earnings at month’s end.
“This decision had to be taken. Four years is enough. The economic losses from the sit-at-home run into trillions of naira since it began, according to an international firm,” he said.
“It is a decision of Anambra state government, and implementation has already commenced.”
According to the commissioner, the retreat reviewed the performance of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration over its concluding four-year term and outlined priorities for the new term beginning on March 17, 2026.
He noted that ANSEC observed that for four years, many public and civil servants had stayed away from work on Mondays, citing insecurity and lack of transportation.
“While those factors may have existed in the past, they no longer apply. Workers simply took advantage of the sit-at-home, knowing they would be paid whether they showed up or not,” Mefor said.
He explained that under civil service rules, such absenteeism could attract dismissal, but the government opted for a more measured approach.
“Instead of going that route, the state decided to adopt pro-rata payment from February. If you don’t want to lose your Monday pay, then you come to work,” he said.
Mefor disclosed that mechanisms were already being put in place, including attendance forms that will allow workers to clock in and out on Mondays.
He stressed that civil servants’ absence on Mondays has continued to undermine productivity and slow down government operations.
“Any day civil servants fail to work, government business stagnates and the state economy suffers. Revenue is lost, and such losses are often irrecoverable,” he said.
He cited agencies such as the Anambra Internal Revenue Service and other MDAs, noting that their absence on Mondays results in significant revenue losses and delays in service delivery.
According to him, the pro-rata policy is designed to ensure fairness, efficiency and financial sustainability in public spending.
“Giving up Mondays and making Saturdays workdays is not an option. That would mean surrendering to the sit-at-home and making Anambra the only state working on Saturdays, which would be absurd,” he said.
Mefor added that it would be unreasonable for the government to insist that markets and the informal sector operate on Mondays while its own workforce stays away.
He disclosed that discussions are ongoing with market leaders to encourage the reopening of markets on Mondays, while the state government is also strengthening security measures to boost traders’ confidence and restore full economic activity.
