“Anambra State Government on Monday announced the commencement of proportionate salary payment for workers across the state as part of efforts to end the sitting at home situation from February.
The state Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, disclosed this to journalists in Awka on Saturday, saying the initiative was decided during the end of term Anambra State Executive Council held in Awka.
Mefor said the retreat was organized to review the activities of the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo over the past four years and to better prepare focus for the new term commencing March 17, 2026.
The Commissioner said that, for the last four years, Anambra public and civil servants often abstained from work on Mondays by sitting at home citing insecurity and lack of transportation facilities.
“The retreat acknowledged that even if these factors existed in the past, they no longer exist, making them invalid reasons for absence from work.
“Employees were just enjoying sitting at home because they know they will be paid whether they come to work or not.
“The ANSEC retreat has decided to put a stop to the anomaly. Ordinarily, the case should be treated as a case of absenteeism, which may lead to dismissal from service, as recorded in the Civil Service Law,” he said.
But we are not walking on that path. The state government has decided that it is making proportionate payment from this February. So if you don't want to lose your pay for that Monday, come to work.
“The mechanism is already in place and forms are being prepared, so that employees can start work on Monday morning and move out when the work is over.”
Mefor also stressed that the absence of civil servants from work on Monday negatively impacts the productivity of the state government.
“Any day civil servants fail to report to work means that the business of the State Government will stagnate and, by implication, the economy of the State will stagnate. The income to the Government will be lost and there is no guarantee that such loss will be compensated.
For example, if employees of the Anambra Internal Revenue Service and other MDAs decide to remain absent from work on Monday, the state stands to lose a lot of money and progress of work is disrupted.
He added, “This is part of the decision to make proportionate payments; it is to ensure that every penny spent reflects fairness, efficiency and sustainability.
“Do we now say that we give up Monday and take Saturday as a working day? That will not work. That would mean that Anambra State has capitulated to whoever introduced the sit-at-home regime, and then, we would be the only state in Nigeria to work on Saturday, and that would be absurd.”
