The Federal Ministry of Health has directed the compulsory disengagement of directors who have spent at least eight years in the directorate cadre.
A memo signed by Tetshoma Dafeta, Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, confirmed the order on Tuesday in Abuja. The directive affects directors in the ministry, federal hospitals, and agencies.
The move follows a wider instruction from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, which recently set a new deadline for enforcing tenure limits across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.
The memo stated: “Further to the Eight (8)-Year Tenure Policy of the Federal Public Service, which mandates the compulsory retirement of Directors after eight years in that rank, as provided in the Revised Public Service Rules 2021 (PSR 020909), I am directed to remind you to take necessary action to ensure that all affected officers who have spent eight years as Directors, effective 31st December, 2025, are disengaged from Service immediately.”
Heads of agencies and parastatals were instructed to ensure affected staff hand over official documents and possessions. Salaries are to be stopped by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), and any payments received after the effective date must be refunded to the treasury.
The memo warned: “Failure to adhere to paragraph 2 above shall be met with stiff sanctions.”
Background to the Policy
The revised Public Service Rules were approved by the Federal Executive Council in September 2021 and became operational on July 27, 2023, after being unveiled during Civil Service Week.
Former Head of Civil Service Folasade Yemi-Esan announced the commencement of the rules, which introduced tenure limits for senior officials.
Section 020909 stipulates that permanent secretaries serve four years, renewable only on satisfactory performance, while directors (GL 17) must retire after eight years in office.
The Ministry of Health directed institutions to forward the nominal roll of all directorate officers to its Department of Human Resources Management.
Officials from the Head of Service and the ministry will conduct monitoring exercises to ensure compliance.
The enforcement is a step in implementing civil service reforms that is expected to promote accountability, reduce stagnation, and create room for younger officers.
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