Anambra workers face pay cuts due to absenteeism on Monday

The Anambra State Government has deducted the salaries of civil servants in February who did not report to work on Monday, which was earlier observed as sit-at-home day by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Previously, the government announced that starting in February 2026, salaries will be calculated on a pro-rata basis to prevent the practice of sitting at home on Mondays. Officials also announced the end of the protests.

However, many workers expressed frustration after receiving warnings indicating major cuts. At the Jerome Udoji Secretariat in Awka, some people complained that the deductions did not reflect the number of Mondays they missed. One worker revealed that his colleague received only ₦10,000 for the month, while another staff member said his salary of over ₦80,000 was reduced to just ₦3,500.

Another affected employee complained: “More than ₦80,000 was deducted from my salary for not coming to work for two Mondays. I think it was a miscalculation, because two Mondays should not mean much.”

Responding to the complaint, the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, confirmed that the cuts were intentional: “A pay cut is a punishment for not coming to work on Monday. The instructions are that when you come to work on Monday, you clock in and out. If you don’t do that, there’s no proof you came to work.”

The government emphasized that this step aims to restore normalcy and prevent absenteeism due to the sit-at-home order.