January 24, 2026 — Dalena Reporters
The Anambra State Government has issued an Executive Order terminating the long-standing Monday sit-at-home practice, mandating that all schools and government offices resume full operations on Mondays and warning that staff who fail to comply will face salary penalties.
In a letter dated January 22, 2026 and signed by Loveline Mgbemena, Board Secretary of the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), the government announced the abolition of the weekly sit-at-home culture that has regularly disrupted academic and official activities.
The directive, titled “Executive Order on Termination of Monday Sit-at-Home in Anambra State,” was sent to permanent board members, education officers responsible for the state’s 21 local government areas, zonal directors and departmental heads. Senior officials were instructed to circulate the order to staff under their supervision and ensure strict compliance.
According to the letter, the decision followed a State Executive Council retreat held on January 21, 2026 and presided over by Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo.
“Sequel to the State Exco retreat held on January 21, 2026 presided over 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 stated.
Under the new order, any teacher or non-tutorial staff who fails to report to school or the office on Mondays faces consequences ranging from receiving only 20 per cent of their salary for the month to forfeiting their entire pay, depending on the circumstances.
The Monday sit-at-home practice first instituted on August 9, 2021 by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a weekly shutdown to press for the release of its detained leader has been observed informally for years, with many residents and institutions staying indoors on Mondays due to fear of attacks. Although IPOB later announced the suspension of the order, many continued to observe it out of caution.
The Soludo administration has maintained that the sit-at-home disruptions have crippled education, hurt economic activity and stalled governance, and the government appears determined to enforce its new directive using salary deductions as leverage to restore normalcy