The Anambra State government has announced that civil servants’ salaries will now be paid on a pro-rata basis, effective February 2026, in a bid to curb the longstanding Monday sit-at-home practice across the state.
State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, disclosed the development to journalists in Awka on Saturday, January 24, 2026.
He explained that the decision emerged from the end-of-tenure retreat of the Anambra State Executive Council, held to review the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo over the past four years and to set a roadmap for the new term beginning March 17, 2026.
Mefor noted that for several years, civil servants often abstained from work on Mondays due to the sit-at-home, citing security concerns and poor transportation as reasons for absenteeism.
“The retreat acknowledged that even though these factors existed in the past, they no longer hold, making them invalid reasons for absenteeism,” Mefor said.
“Workers were simply enjoying the sit-at-home because they knew they would still be paid. The ANSEC retreat has decided to put a stop to this anomaly.”
Under the new system, workers who fail to report on Mondays will have their salaries for the day proportionally deducted.
“Ordinarily, absenteeism could lead to dismissal under civil service law, but we are adopting a less punitive approach.
The state government will pay pro-rata from this February.
If workers want to retain their full Monday salary, they must come to work,” Mefor added.
He further explained that mechanisms are being put in place for workers to officially clock in and out on Mondays to record attendance.
Mefor emphasised that absenteeism on Mondays has adversely affected government productivity.
“Any day civil servants fail to come to work, the state government’s operations stagnate, income is lost, and the state economy is negatively impacted,” he said, noting that these losses are not always recoverable.
This move marks a significant policy shift aimed at improving accountability and ensuring consistent service delivery in Anambra State.
