SUNTV Global Channel | March 3, 2026
The Anambra State Government has slashed the February salaries of 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), triggering outrage among affected workers.
SUNTV Global Channel gathered that the deductions followed the government’s earlier directive that February 2026 salaries would be paid on a pro-rata basis as part of measures to end compliance with the controversial Monday sit-at-home order.
However, when salary alerts began arriving, several workers were reportedly left stunned by what they described as “crippling and irregular” deductions.
At the Jerome Udoji State Secretariat in Awka, some civil servants who spoke on condition of anonymity said the cuts did not reflect the number of Mondays they allegedly missed.
One worker disclosed that a colleague received just N10,000 as February salary after deductions. Another staff member from the Ministry of Information reportedly received only N3,500 from a monthly salary of over N80,000.
“The cuts are irregular. Some people who missed work once or twice had huge deductions. I believe there were errors in the computation,” one worker said.
Another affected employee added:
“Over N80,000 was deducted from my salary for missing two Mondays. That amount does not add up. It appears miscalculated.”
Govt Defends Action
When contacted, the Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, defended the deductions, insisting they were punitive measures aimed at enforcing discipline and discouraging absenteeism.
According to him, workers were instructed to clock in and clock out on Mondays as proof 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,” Mefor stated.
“The salary cut is a punishment for failure to report to work on Mondays.”
Soludo: “Calculated Economic Sabotage”
The development comes weeks after Governor Chukwuma Soludo described continued compliance with the sit-at-home directive as “calculated economic sabotage.”
In January, the governor accused unnamed actors of attempting to cripple major commercial hubs such as Onitsha and Nnewi through persistent observance of the protest.
“It’s now calculated economic sabotage to bring down Onitsha, to bring down Nnewi, to bring down the economy of the state,” Soludo declared.
“You can try that with any other person, but not with this governor standing here.”
He reiterated that markets and schools that fail to open on Mondays risk being shut down for weeks, warning that his administration would not tolerate actions capable of weakening the state’s economy.
“The new Anambra that we are building 24 by 7 must come to pass,” the governor said.
“We are determined to take back our state.”
Growing Tension
While the state government maintains that the move is necessary to restore economic stability and enforce public service rules, affected workers are calling for a review of the deductions, alleging miscalculations and excessive penalties.
As tensions rise, labour observers say the coming days may determine whether the policy achieves its intended goal or sparks broader resistance within the civil service.
SUNTV Global Channel will continue to monitor developments.
