The Anambra State Government has announced that salaries of civil servants in the state will be docked if they fail to report to work on Mondays — a move aimed at ending the long-standing Monday sit-at-home directive enforced by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The decision was disclosed on Saturday in Awka by Dr. Law Mefor, the Commissioner for Information, at the conclusion of the end-of-tenure retreat of the Anambra State Executive Council (ANSEC). The retreat evaluated the performance of the administration of Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo over the past four years and charted priorities for the new term starting March 17, 2026.

Under the new arrangement, which takes effect from February 2026, civil servants will be paid on a pro-rata basis — meaning that workers who do not appear for duty on Mondays will forfeit the pay attributable to that day.

According to Mefor, the policy was introduced to tackle persistent absenteeism on Mondays, which government records show has continued despite improvements in security and transport conditions across the state. “Some workers have taken advantage of the situation, knowing they would receive full salaries regardless of attendance,” he said.

He explained that the government had opted for a less punitive approach than the usual civil service disciplinary measures, such as dismissal, by introducing pro-rata pay. Attendance registers will be instituted requiring workers to clock in on Monday mornings and clock out at the close of work to ensure compliance.

The commissioner noted the negative impact of Monday absenteeism on governance, stating that every lost workday translates to stalled government business and loss of revenue. He cited revenue-generating agencies like the Anambra Internal Revenue Service and other ministries, departments and parastatals as particularly affected.

Mefor added that shifting official workdays to Saturdays was not considered viable, as it would signal a surrender to the sit-at-home order and make Anambra the only state in Nigeria with such a workweek.

In addition to the salary policy, the government is engaging market leaders to encourage traders to reopen on Mondays and is bolstering security to build confidence among business operators to resume normal economic activities at the start of the week.

The sit-at-home practice, originally enforced by non-state actors, has in past years disrupted commercial, educational and social activities in the state and has been widely criticised for its adverse impact on the economy.