24 January 2026/SUNTV Global Channel
The Anambra State Government has formally moved to end the long-standing Monday sit-at-home practice, issuing an Executive Order that mandates all schools and public offices to operate fully on Mondays, with strict penalties for defaulters.
Under the new directive, teachers and non-teaching staff who fail to report to work on Mondays risk losing at least 20 per cent of their salaries or forfeiting their pay entirely.
SUNTV Global Channel reports that the order was contained in an official circular dated January 22, 2026, and signed by the Board Secretary of the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), Loveline Mgbemena.
The letter, titled “Executive Order on Termination of Monday Sit-At-Home in Anambra State,” was addressed to permanent board members, education officers overseeing the state’s 21 local government areas, zonal directors and heads of departments.
Mgbemena directed senior officials to immediately circulate the directive to all staff under their supervision and ensure strict compliance.
According to the circular, the decision followed a State Executive Council retreat held on January 21, 2026, and presided over by Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo.
“Sequel to the State Exco retreat held on January 21, 2026 presided by the State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, I am directed to inform you that the state government has decided that the protracted Monday sit-at-home in Anambra State has been abolished with immediate effect,” the letter stated.
It further warned that any tutorial or non-tutorial staff who fails to attend school or office on Mondays “will either receive 20 per cent of his or her salary or forfeit it entirely.”
The ASUBEB secretary emphasised that the directive is an executive decision of the state government and must be enforced without exception.
The Monday sit-at-home tradition in Anambra and other parts of the South-East began on August 9, 2021, following a directive by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which ordered weekly shutdowns to demand the release of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Although IPOB later announced the suspension of the order, persistent security concerns and fear of attacks have continued to keep schools, businesses and public offices largely shut on Mondays.
The Soludo administration has repeatedly argued that the sit-at-home has devastated education, deepened poverty and disrupted governance, insisting that normal economic and academic activities must resume.
However, the latest directive has sparked fresh concerns among teachers and school workers, many of whom say their absence on Mondays is driven by fear for their safety rather than support for IPOB.
Despite the backlash, the Anambra State Government appears resolute, deploying salary deductions as a tool to enforce compliance and bring an end to what it describes as a prolonged disruption of public life in the state.
