Under the new directive, any teacher or non-tutorial staff who fails to report to school or office on Mondays risks losing 20 per cent of their salary or forfeiting it entirely.
The Anambra State government has said it has formally abolished the long-standing Monday sit-at-home culture in the state, issuing an Executive Order that compels all schools to open on Mondays and threatening stiff salary sanctions against defiant staff.
Under the new directive, any teacher or non-tutorial staff who fails to report to school or office on Mondays risks losing 20 per cent of their salary or forfeiting it entirely.
The directive was contained in an official letter dated January 22, 2026, signed by the Board Secretary of the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), Loveline Mgbemena.
The letter, titled “Executive Order on Termination of Monday Sit-at-Home in Anambra State,” was addressed to permanent board members, education officers in charge of the state’s 21 local government areas, zonal directors and departmental heads.
Mgbemena directed all senior officials to circulate the directive to staff under their supervision and ensure “adequate compliance.”
According to the letter, the decision followed a State Executive Council retreat held on January 21, 2026, presided over by Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo.
“Sequel to the State Exco retreat held on January 21, 2026 presided by the State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, I am directed to inform you that the state government has decided that the protracted Monday sit-at-home in Anambra State has been abolished with immediate effect,” the letter read.
It added, “By this directive, any staff both tutorial and non-tutorial that fails to attend school or office on Monday will either receive 20 per cent of his/her salary or forfeit it entirely.”
The board secretary warned that the order represents an “executive decision of the state government” and urged all officials to ensure strict enforcement.
The Monday sit-at-home culture in Anambra and other parts of the South-East began on August 9, 2021, after the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) declared a weekly shutdown to press for the release of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement at the time, IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, ordered residents to restrict movement and directed schools, markets and motor parks to remain shut every Monday.
Although IPOB later announced the suspension of the sit-at-home order, fear of violent attacks and reprisals has continued to keep schools, businesses and public offices largely deserted on Mondays across the state.
The Soludo administration has repeatedly insisted that normal economic and academic activities must resume, arguing that the sit-at-home has crippled education, worsened poverty and disrupted governance.
However, the new order has sparked concerns among teachers and school workers who say security fears, rather than sympathy for IPOB, have forced many residents to stay indoors.
Despite these concerns, the Anambra State Government appears determined to enforce compliance, using salary deductions as leverage to end what it describes as a “protracted” disruption of public life in the state.