The Federal Ministry of Health has ordered the immediate retirement of all directors who have served eight years in the directorate cadre, in line with the revised Public Service Rules (PSR)
A memo obtained in Abuja on Tuesday revealed that the directive applies to directors across the ministry, federal hospitals, agencies, and parastatals under its supervision.
The move follows a broader directive from the Federal Government instructing all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to enforce the eight-year tenure limit for directors and permanent secretaries. The policy is being implemented through the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
The memo, signed by Tetshoma Dafeta, Director of the Office of the Permanent Secretary at the ministry, emphasized that directors who reached the eight-year threshold as of December 31, 2025, must be disengaged immediately. It referenced Section 020909 of the Revised Public Service Rules 2021.
Heads of agencies and parastatals were instructed to ensure that affected officers hand over all official documents and property immediately. Their salaries are to be stopped through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), and any payments made beyond their disengagement date must be refunded to the treasury.
Institutions were also directed to submit the nominal roll of all directorate-level officers, including those on CONMESS 07, CONHESS 15, and CONRAISS 15, to designated ministry email addresses for monitoring purposes. Officials from both the ministry and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service will carry out checks to ensure compliance. The memo warned that failure to follow the directive would attract strict sanctions.
The policy traces back to the revised PSR, approved by the Federal Executive Council in September 2021 and operational from July 27, 2023. Under the rules, permanent secretaries have a four-year term, renewable only based on satisfactory performance, while directors on Grade Level 17 or its equivalent must retire after eight years in the position.
This enforcement underscores the government’s commitment to upholding tenure limits and ensuring compliance with public service regulations.
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