Anambra pro rata salary policy begins February 2026 as government moves to curb Monday sit at home losses and boost productivity

The Anambra State Government has announced the introduction of an Anambra pro rata salary system for civil servants, a decisive move aimed at ending the long running Monday sit at home practice across the state.

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Speaking with journalists on Saturday in Awka, the Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, said the policy would take effect from February 2026 following a resolution reached at the end of tenure retreat of the Anambra State Executive Council.

Under the Anambra pro rata salary arrangement, workers’ monthly pay will be calculated based on attendance, using 24 official working days in a month. Any absence from work, including Mondays, will now reflect directly in salary earnings.

Mefor described the decision as bold but necessary, stressing that the economic damage caused by the sit at home directive had become unsustainable.

According to him, international assessments estimate the losses running into trillions of naira since the practice began.

He explained that the retreat reviewed the performance of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration over its concluding four year tenure and set priorities for the new term commencing on March 17, 2026.

A key observation, he said, was that most public servants had stayed away from work every Monday for four years.

The commissioner noted that earlier concerns about insecurity and lack of transportation were no longer valid. He said many workers simply took advantage of the situation because full salaries were paid regardless of attendance.

Mefor said the Anambra pro rata salary policy was chosen as a corrective measure rather than invoking disciplinary sanctions allowed under civil service law.

He added that the government deliberately avoided mass dismissals in favour of a fair and sustainable solution.

He explained that mechanisms were already being put in place to ensure compliance, including attendance forms that would allow workers to clock in and out on Mondays.

Anyone who failed to show up would automatically forfeit that portion of their salary.

According to the commissioner, Monday absenteeism had severely weakened government productivity and revenue generation.

He said each missed workday stalled official business, slowed development and caused losses that could not always be recovered.

Mefor cited agencies such as the Anambra Internal Revenue Service, noting that their absence on Mondays directly reduced government income and delayed critical services.

He described the Anambra pro rata salary approach as a powerful step towards restoring efficiency, fairness and fiscal discipline.

He also rejected suggestions that the state could shift work to Saturdays, calling such an idea unrealistic and humiliating.

He said doing so would amount to surrendering authority and make Anambra the only state in Nigeria operating a Saturday work regime.

Mefor added that the government was engaging market leaders to reopen markets on Mondays while strengthening security across the state to rebuild confidence among traders.

He said it would be unreasonable for the government to demand compliance from the private sector when its own workforce failed to lead by example.

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The commissioner expressed confidence that the Anambra pro rata salary policy would gradually normalise Monday activities, reduce economic losses and restore the state’s reputation for discipline and productivity.