Health Ministry directs immediate retirement of long-serving directors
The Federal Ministry of Health has directed the immediate disengagement of directors who have spent eight years or more in the directorate cadre. The order takes effect immediately and applies across the ministry, federal hospitals and related agencies.
The directive was contained in an internal memo sighted in Abuja on Tuesday morning. It follows a Federal Government order enforcing the eight-year tenure limit for directors and permanent secretaries in Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
The policy is based on the Revised Public Service Rules 2021, specifically Section 020909, which mandates the compulsory retirement of directors after eight years in that rank.
The memo was signed by Tetshoma Dafeta, Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Health. It reminded all relevant offices to ensure that affected officers who completed eight years as directors as of December 31, 2025, are disengaged without delay.
According to the memo, all Heads of Agencies and Parastatals must ensure that affected staff immediately hand over official documents and government property.
It also directed that the salaries of the affected officers be stopped through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) Unit.
In addition, any emoluments paid to them after their effective date of disengagement must be refunded to the government treasury.
The circular referenced a prior directive from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Ref. No. HSCF/3065/Vol.I/225, dated February 10, 2026, which reiterated the enforcement of the tenure policy.
The ministry further instructed agencies to forward the nominal roll of all directorate officers under CONMESS 07, CONHESS 15 and CONRAISS 15 to designated official email addresses.
It warned that officials from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the ministry would conduct monitoring exercises to ensure full compliance.
The memo made it clear that failure to comply with the directive would attract stiff sanctions.
The development comes after the Federal Government recently set a deadline for MDAs to enforce the eight-year tenure limit across the public service.
In July 2023, the former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan, announced the commencement of the revised Public Service Rules.
She made the announcement during a lecture at the State House in Abuja to mark the 2023 Civil Service Week.
Yemi-Esan stated that the revised rules became operational from July 27, 2023, following their approval by the Federal Executive Council in September 2021.
A circular was then issued to Permanent Secretaries, the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Auditor-General for the Federation and heads of extra-ministerial departments to formally notify them of the changes.
Under Section 020909 of the revised rules, permanent secretaries have a tenure limit of four years, which may only be renewed based on satisfactory performance.
The rules also clearly state that a director on Grade Level 17, or its equivalent, must retire compulsorily after spending eight years in that position.