Anambra State has introduced a new salary structure for its workforce, linking pay directly to attendance as the government intensifies efforts to dismantle the long-running Monday sit-at-home culture across the state.
Under the policy, civil servants who fail to report to work on Mondays will forfeit a portion of their monthly wages, as salaries will now be calculated on a pro-rata basis beginning February 2026.
The policy shift was announced in Awka after a strategic retreat of the Anambra State Executive Council, convened to assess the outgoing administration’s performance and recalibrate priorities ahead of a new term starting March 17, 2026.
Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, the Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, said the government could no longer ignore the economic damage caused by widespread absenteeism on Mondays.
“Governance cannot thrive when an entire workday is treated as optional,” Mefor said.
“This administration has resolved that productivity must match public expenditure.”
According to him, workers’ salaries will now be divided by 24 official working days in a month, with payments adjusted to reflect actual attendance.
Moreover, the commissioner explained that the decision followed findings that many civil servants had stayed away from offices every Monday for nearly four years, often citing insecurity or lack of transport.
“Those excuses no longer hold,” he said. “Security has improved, transport is available, yet attendance remains poor because salaries were guaranteed regardless of presence.”
Rather than applying strict disciplinary measures provided for under civil service regulations, the government opted for a financial deterrent.
“Ordinarily, persistent absenteeism could lead to dismissal,” Mefor noted.
“However, the government chose a corrective approach. If you show up for work, you earn your full pay. If you don’t, the deduction applies.”
To enforce compliance, attendance-monitoring systems are being introduced, including clock-in and clock-out documentation for Mondays.
Furthermore, the government warned that continued Monday absenteeism weakens state productivity, disrupts revenue generation, and slows economic activity.
“When revenue agencies and ministries shut down for a day, the state bleeds financially,” Mefor said. “Lost income is rarely recoverable, and development suffers as a result.”
He added that surrendering Mondays or substituting Saturdays as workdays was never an option, describing such a move as counterproductive and nationally impractical.
“This is not about punishing workers,” he said. “It is about restoring fairness, efficiency, and institutional discipline.”
Meanwhile, the state government has opened talks with market leaders to encourage full commercial activities on Mondays, alongside stepped-up security deployments to reassure traders.
“The government cannot credibly ask traders to open shops if its own workers stay at home,” Mefor said. “Leadership must begin from within.”
As negotiations continue, officials insist the pro-rata salary policy is a critical first step toward reviving normal economic life in Anambra and ending the culture of enforced shutdowns.