Anambra Govt slashes salaries of civil servants who observed sit-at-home

The Anambra State Government has implemented sweeping salary deductions for civil servants who failed to report for duty on Mondays, previously observed as sit-at-home days linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), sparking widespread concern among affected workers.

The move follows the government’s earlier announcement that beginning February 2026, civil servants’ salaries would be paid on a pro-rata basis as part of efforts to discourage compliance with the controversial Monday sit-at-home order.

However, for many workers, February’s salary alert came with what they described as “crippling” deductions.

Several civil servants who spoke at the Jerome Udoji State Secretariat in Awka expressed shock, claiming the cuts did not correspond with the number of Mondays they allegedly missed.

One staff member, who requested anonymity for fear of victimisation, disclosed that a colleague in his ministry received only N10,000 as February salary after deductions. Another employee in the Ministry of Information reportedly received just N3,500 from a monthly salary of over N80,000.

According to the workers, some deductions appeared disproportionate. “The cuts are irregular,” one staff member said, adding that employees who missed work once or twice were subjected to substantial reductions. Another worker claimed over N80,000 was deducted for missing two Mondays, describing the computation as questionable.

Responding to the development, the state Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, defended the government’s action, insisting that the deductions were punitive measures against absenteeism.

He explained that civil servants were required to clock in and clock out on Mondays to provide evidence of attendance. “If you came to work on Mondays but did not clock in and clock out, it means you did not come to work because there is no evidence to show that you came,” he stated.

The enforcement comes amid renewed efforts by Governor Chukwuma Soludo to end compliance with the Monday sit-at-home order. The governor recently described the continued observance by some traders and residents as “calculated economic sabotage,” accusing unnamed actors of attempting to cripple key commercial centres such as Onitsha and Nnewi.

Soludo has vowed that his administration will not tolerate actions aimed at weakening the state’s economy, stressing that the government is determined to “take back” Anambra from disruptive influences. He also maintained that security operations are ongoing and asserted that Anambra remains one of the safest states in Nigeria.

As part of the clampdown, the governor warned that markets and schools that fail to open on Mondays risk being sealed for up to two weeks, underscoring what he described as a firm commitment to restoring full economic activity across the state.

While the government maintains that the pro-rata policy is necessary to enforce discipline and revive economic productivity, affected workers are calling for a review of the deductions, citing alleged discrepancies in salary computations.

Source: Sahara Reporters News