Pecohub The Anambra government says it will begin deducting the salaries of civil servants who stay away from work on Mondays in observance of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)’s sit-at-home order.
Speaking on Saturday with journalists, Law Mefor, information commissioner, said the decision was taken at the end of a state executive council (SEC) retreat held on Friday in Awka.
According to NAN, Mefor said the policy was aimed at curbing persistent Monday absenteeism among public servants.
He said the government observed that many civil servants had continued to stay away from work on Mondays over the last four years, despite improvements in the security situation in the state.
“Some workers have taken advantage of the situation, knowing they would receive full salaries regardless of attendance,” Mefor said.
“Although this amounts to absenteeism punishable under the civil service rules, the government opted for pro-rata salary payment.”
He said the policy would require civil servants who skip work on Mondays to forfeit the pay for that day, adding that it was a less severe option than the disciplinary measures under the civil service rules.
The commissioner said the government had introduced attendance registers that would require workers to clock in at resumption and clock out at the close of work on Mondays to ensure compliance.
He said the continued absence of workers on Mondays had affected government productivity and contributed to economic losses in the state.
“Every workday lost translates to stalled government business and loss of revenue,” Mefor said.
He added that revenue-generating agencies, including the Anambra Internal Revenue Service and other ministries, departments and parastatals, were among those affected by Monday’s absenteeism.
Mefor said the government ruled out shifting official workdays to Saturdays, describing such an option as impractical and an implicit acceptance of the sit-at-home order.
He added that the state would not continue to encourage markets and the informal sector to operate on Mondays while its own workforce stayed away from duty.
