In response to the sit-at-home order frequently issued by the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, the governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has threatened to reduce the pay of employees who don’t report to work on Monday.

The practice of Monday sit-at-home, according to Soludo, has turned into an excuse for employees to stop showing up to work on Mondays. He vehemently argued that it cannot continue.

He made these remarks to the state employees on Monday during the 2023 May Day celebration in Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka.

The governor increased the workers’ salaries by 10 percent while pleading with them to start resuming work on Mondays.

Although, IPOB, which introduced the Monday sit-at-home in the South-East in 2021, to protest the arrest of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, had continuously said it had suspended the order, the people have continued to observe it for fear of attack.

According to Soludo, “Monday sit-at-home has turned into an excuse for employees to stop reporting to work on Mondays.” This can’t go on. You cannot work just four days a week and earn full salaries.

“We must get back to work on Mondays.” If we do not go to work, we must not get our full salary. We must be paid proportionally with the number of days we work. If we must continue staying away from work on Mondays, then we will start coming to work on Saturday.

“You must do your work and we cannot be working for 70 per cent and earn 110 percent. We will cut your salaries when  you fail to come work on Monday.”

The governor added that the state government had a N88 billion budget deficit over the previous year.