The Anambra State Government has ordered an immediate end to Monday school closures, warning that education workers who fail to report to duty risk losing 20 per cent of their salaries.
The directive is contained in a circular dated January 22, 2026, issued by the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB) and signed by Hon. Mgbemena Loveline E, the Board Secretary.
The decision followed a State Executive Council retreat held on January 21, 2026, and presided over by Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo.
Under the directive, all teaching and non-teaching staff are required to resume work every Monday without exception. Any staff member who fails to report to school or office on Mondays will forfeit 20 per cent of their salary, or risk losing it entirely.
ASUBEB has instructed permanent board members, education officers across the 21 local government education authorities, zonal directors, and departmental heads in Awka to ensure full compliance.
The government said the move marks the end of the prolonged Monday sit-at-home that has disrupted education in the state for years.
The sit-at-home practice began in August 2021 following a directive by IPOB, and although it was later suspended officially, it has persisted in parts of the South-East due to fear and sporadic enforcement.
Education authorities say the continued closures have severely disrupted academic calendars, reduced teaching hours, and undermined learning outcomes, prompting the state’s tougher enforcement stance.
