The Anambra State Government will deduct the salaries of civil servants who abstain from work on Mondays, a new policy announced as part of decisive measures to end the weekly sit-at-home order.
The directive followed the state’s closure of the Onitsha Main Market for one week after traders observed the disputed Monday lockdown. State Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, disclosed on Saturday that pro-rata salary payments based on Monday attendance will commence effective February 2026. He stated the move aims to restore full economic activity and normalize the work week.
The policy was ratified during the state executive council’s end-of-tenure retreat in Awka, which reviewed the administration’s concluding term and set priorities for its new tenure beginning March 17, 2026. According to the commissioner, the government seeks to incentivize attendance and dismantle the culture of forced Monday closures that have crippled commerce and governance. The announcement directly precedes the controversial sealing of the Onitsha Main Market.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo ordered the market’s closure on Monday after a majority of traders failed to open for business, defying government appeals to ignore the sit-at-home order. During an on-site visit, the governor characterized the collective action as “economic sabotage” and a threat to public safety. A joint security task force comprising police and army personnel enforced the shutdown, securing the market’s perimeter.
Governor Soludo issued a stern warning that the initial one-week closure could be extended indefinitely if compliance is not achieved. “You either decide that you are going to trade here or you go elsewhere. I am very serious about this,” Soludo stated. He cautioned that failure to reopen after one week would result in the market being sealed for an entire month.
The sit-at-home order, originally declared by the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a protest measure, has persisted despite official disavowals and enhanced security pledges. The governor described the traders’ compliance as a “quiet rebellion” indicative of a persistent climate of fear in the region. The struggle over the lockdown has become a protracted battle for control of the South-East’s economic life.
Commissioner Mefor, in his statement to journalists, framed the salary policy as a necessary administrative response. “Effective February 2026, civil servants’ salaries will be paid based on attendance on Mondays,” he said, according to a transcript of his briefing. He clarified the measure is part of a broader strategy to reclaim public spaces and ensure full productivity.
A government source familiar with the executive council deliberations confirmed the salary measure was passed as a formal resolution. The governor, during his market visit, further justified the state’s actions, stating, “The government cannot stand by while a few individuals willfully undermine public safety and disregard official directives meant to restore normalcy.”
The combined actions on public sector pay and market operations represent an escalated governmental approach to enforcing a five-day work week. Observers note the measures shift significant economic risk onto individuals and businesses that continue to observe the Monday sit-at-home, setting the stage for a critical test of the state’s authority in the coming weeks.
