Anambra State Reduces February Salaries of Workers Who Observed Sit-at-Home on Mondays

The government of Anambra State has reduced the salaries of civil servants for February due to non-compliance with the sit-at-home order on Mondays. This order was previously declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra.

An earlier announcement by the state indicated that a pro-rata payment system would be in effect to discourage adherence to the Monday sit-at-home directive. Starting in February 2026, civil servants' salaries are to be calculated based on actual days worked, alongside a declaration to end the sit-at-home protests in the state.

Nonetheless, numerous workers have come forward with reports of substantial salary reductions for February, prompting grievances at the Jerome Udoji State Secretariat located in Awka. Employees mentioned that the salary deductions did not accurately correspond to the number of Mondays they had missed.

One worker, who wished to remain anonymous to avoid repercussions, noted that a colleague received only N10,000 after deductions. Another employee from the Ministry of Information claimed that he received a mere N3,500 from his salary of over N80,000.

He stated, "One of my colleagues mentioned she had N10,000 deducted from her salary. These reductions appear excessively arbitrary, and there may have been mistakes in the calculations since some individuals who missed work just once or twice have faced significant cuts."

Another worker expressed frustration over the unexpected high deductions, stating, "I was shocked to see substantial cuts when I received my February salary notification. Over N80,000 was deducted from my wallet for missing only two Mondays. It seems to be a miscalculation since such an amount shouldn't be attributed to just two missed days."

In response to these concerns, the state Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, verified that the salary deductions were implemented as a penalty for not attending work on Mondays.

"The salary deductions serve as punishment for not coming to work on Mondays. The directive was clear: workers are to clock in when they arrive and clock out when they leave. If you come to work on a Monday but do not clock in or out, there is no proof that you were present, thus justifying the penalty," he clarified.

This policy represents one of the most rigorous actions taken by the state government to ensure the resumption of regular working hours on Mondays, as authorities aim to reinforce adherence to official work protocols.