The Anambra State Government, led by Chukwuma Soludo, has agreed to refund civil servants whose February salaries were wrongly deducted over Monday sit-at-home absences.
This was disclosed by the state chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Chris Ogbonna, who said the decision followed urgent intervention by the union after widespread complaints from affected workers.
The controversy arose after the government introduced a pro-rata salary policy in February 2026, linking workers’ pay to attendance as part of efforts to curb the Monday sit-at-home observed in the state, often associated with the Indigenous People of Biafra.
However, many civil servants reported severe and inconsistent deductions.
At the Jerome Udoji Secretariat in Awka, workers lamented that the cuts did not correspond with the number of Mondays missed, with some receiving drastically reduced pay.
Ogbonna acknowledged the discrepancies, assuring that the government has commenced steps to refund all excess deductions.
He noted that the move reflects the administration’s responsiveness to workers’ concerns.
“The government has agreed to refund those who were over-deducted. This came after our intervention, and we believe the process is already underway,” he said.
Beyond the salary issue, the TUC also appealed to the government to consider refunding contributions made by workers under the state’s pension scheme.
While Ogbonna rated the administration’s overall performance positively, the development has sparked fresh conversations about the implementation of the attendance-based salary policy.
When contacted, the state Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, said he was yet to confirm the refund but promised to liaise with the Accountant-General for clarification.
