Sit-at-Home: Soludo Slashes Anambra workers’ Pay over Absent from Work on Mondays

By Praise Chinecherem

Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra state has slashed salaries of civil servants in the state over absent from work on Mondays in compliance to sit-at-home order as declared by separatist groups.

The governor had in January, warned that civil servants who failed to show up for work on Mondays would be paid on a pro-rata basis, effectively docking salaries for unexcused absences.

It was lamentations on Monday as workers opened their bank alerts to shocking figures, some receiving as little as ₦3,500 from February salaries that were originally over ₦80,000.

The drastic pay cut follows the state government’s crackdown on absenteeism after Mondays were declared sit-at-home days by separatist groups.

At the Jerome Udoji State Secretariat in Awka, the state capital, the atmosphere was tense as workers vented frustration over massive deductions that, in some cases, seemed far in excess of the days missed.

One the workers from the Ministry of Information who preferred anonymity said, “One of my colleagues received only ₦3,500 out of a salary of over ₦80,000.

“Another said her pay was slashed by ₦10,000. The deductions are irregular — some people missed work only once or twice yet had huge cuts.”

Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, who confirmed the deductions, insisting they were disciplinary measures.

“The salary cut is a punishment for failure to come to work on Mondays. Employees are expected to clock in and clock out to prove attendance. Failure to do so is treated as absence.”

Mefor added that the pro-rata payment system was meant to enforce accountability and end the sit-at-home protests, urging workers to adhere strictly to the rules.

The February pay saga has sparked heated debate among civil servants, many of whom feel the deductions were excessive and poorly computed, highlighting tensions between government policy and workforce compliance.