The Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo has slashed the February salaries of civil servants who did not report to work on Mondays during the sit-at-home period earlier declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The decision followed an earlier announcement that salaries would be paid based on the number of days each worker was present at work.
The new payment method began in February 2026 as part of the steps taken by the state to end the Monday sit-at-home. The government also declared that the protest action had come to an end.
After salary alerts were sent out, many workers noticed heavy deductions from their February earnings.
Some staff at the Jerome Udoji State Secretariat in Awka said the amounts removed from their pay did not match the number of Mondays they were absent.
A worker who asked not to be named told Punch that a colleague in his ministry received only N10,000 after the deductions were made.
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Another employee from the Ministry of Information said he was paid just N3,500 out of a salary that was more than N80,000.
According to him, the amount removed was far higher than what should have been deducted for missing two Mondays.
Other affected staff also complained that the figures did not add up. Some said workers who missed work once or twice still had large sums removed from their salaries.
When contacted by Punch, the Commissioner for Information in the state, Law Mefor, confirmed that the cuts were made because some workers failed to report to duty on Mondays.
He explained that workers were directed to clock in when they arrived and clock out before leaving on Mondays to prove they were present.
He added that anyone who did not follow this process would be treated as absent because there was no record to show they came to work.
Should workers be penalised for observing the sit-at-home? Share your thoughts in the comment below.
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