- According to Mefor, workers’ monthly salaries will now be calculated using 24 official working days
- He added that the pro-rata salary policy is meant to promote fairness, efficiency
- He added that although absenteeism under civil service rules could attract dismissal
The Anambra State Government has announced a new pro-rata salary payment policy for civil servants as part of renewed efforts to curb the long-running Monday sit-at-home practice in the state.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the policy, which takes effect from February 2026, will ensure that workers are paid strictly based on the number of days they report for duty each month.
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The Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, disclosed this on Saturday while briefing journalists in Awka, explaining that the decision was reached during the end-of-tenure retreat of the Anambra State Executive Council.
According to Mefor, workers’ monthly salaries will now be calculated using 24 official working days, meaning any absence — including Mondays — will directly affect take-home pay.
He said the government was compelled to act after reviewing the economic impact of the sit-at-home order, which he described as having cost the state trillions of naira over the years.
“The decision has been taken, and implementation has already commenced. Four years of economic disruption is more than enough,” the commissioner said.
Mefor explained that the retreat, which reviewed Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s first four years in office and mapped out priorities for the new tenure beginning March 17, 2026, noted that most civil servants had stayed away from work on Mondays due to insecurity and lack of transportation in the past.
However, he stressed that those conditions no longer exist.
“The retreat observed that these excuses are no longer valid. Many workers simply stayed away because they knew salaries would still be paid, whether they showed up or not,” he said.
He added that although absenteeism under civil service rules could attract dismissal, the government opted for a more measured approach.
“Rather than sack workers, we have chosen pro-rata payment. If you want your full salary, then you must report for duty on Monday,” Mefor stated.
He revealed that attendance mechanisms are already being put in place, including clock-in and clock-out systems to track staff presence on Mondays.
The commissioner also warned that Monday absenteeism has continued to weaken government productivity and revenue generation.
“Any day workers fail to resume, government business stalls, and the economy suffers. Revenue is lost, and in many cases, it cannot be recovered,” he said.
He cited agencies such as the Anambra Internal Revenue Service, noting that their absence on Mondays translates directly to financial losses for the state.
Mefor dismissed suggestions that the state could replace Mondays with Saturday workdays, describing such an idea as unrealistic and a concession to those behind the sit-at-home order.
“That would mean Anambra surrendering and becoming the only state working Saturdays in Nigeria. That is not reasonable,” he said.
He added that the pro-rata salary policy is meant to promote fairness, efficiency, and sustainability, while encouraging civil servants to lead by example.
The commissioner further disclosed that the government is engaging market leaders to reopen businesses on Mondays and has intensified security efforts to reassure traders and residents.
“The government cannot expect markets and the informal sector to operate on Mondays when its own workforce stays at home. That contradiction must end,” he said.
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