The Federal Ministry of Health has directed the immediate retirement of directors who have spent eight years in the directorate cadre.
The order applies to directors serving in the ministry, federal hospitals, and its agencies across the country.
Politics Nigeria reports that a circular was issued in Abuja on Tuesday, and it confirmed that the policy takes effect immediately.
The directive follows the Federal Government’s renewed enforcement of the eight-year tenure rule for senior civil servants. This includes directors and permanent secretaries in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
A memo signed by Tetshoma Dafeta, who oversees the Office of the Permanent Secretary at the ministry, instructed all institutions under the ministry to disengage affected officers without delay.
The memo states, “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)… all affected officers who have spent eight years as Directors, effective 31st December, 2025, are disengaged from Service immediately.”
It further ordered heads of agencies and parastatals to ensure that affected officials hand over all government property and documents.
According to the directive, salaries of disengaged officers must be stopped through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). Any payment received after their effective retirement date must be refunded to the Federal Government.
The memo also warned that monitoring teams from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Ministry of Health will be deployed to confirm compliance.
It added that institutions must submit the nominal roll of all directorate-level officers to the ministry’s Department of Human Resource Management.
The circular stressed that failure to comply with the directive would attract strict sanctions.
This move is based on the Revised Public Service Rules approved by the Federal Executive Council and implemented from July 27, 2023.
Under Section 020909 of the rules, directors on Grade Level 17 or equivalent must retire after spending eight years in that rank. Permanent secretaries are limited to four years in office, with renewal only based on performance.
