By Maureen Okpe
The Federal Government has ordered the immediate retirement of directors who have spent eight years or more in the directorate cadre across the Federal Ministry of Health and its agencies.
The directive, contained in an internal memo obtained in Abuja on Tuesday, mandates affected officials to disengage from service without delay in strict compliance with public service regulations.
The move aligns with an earlier government instruction directing all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to enforce the eight-year tenure limit for directors and permanent secretaries.
The policy is being implemented in line with guidelines issued through the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
In the memo signed by the Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Tetshoma Dafeta, management reminded agencies that the compulsory retirement rule is stipulated in the Revised Public Service Rules 2021.
It emphasised that directors are required to exit the service after spending eight years in the rank and that the directive takes immediate effect.
Heads of agencies and parastatals under the ministry were instructed to ensure that affected officers, particularly those who completed eight years as of December 31, 2025, hand over official duties and government property promptly.
The circular also directed the stoppage of salaries of affected officers through the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), warning that any payment made beyond their exit date must be refunded.
Institutions were further ordered to submit updated nominal rolls of directorate officers within specified salary structures for compliance monitoring.
According to the memo, the policy is anchored on Section 020909 of the Revised Public Service Rules approved by the Federal Executive Council, which limits permanent secretaries to a renewable four-year tenure and mandates compulsory retirement for directors on Grade Level 17 after eight years in office.