FG directs immediate retirement of senior health officials

By Lawrence Agbo

With immediate effect, the Federal Ministry of Health has mandated that senior officers who have served in the directorate cadre for at least eight years be retired from their positions.

According to a memo seen by our correspondent in Abuja on Tuesday morning, the impacted directors include those in the ministry, government hospitals, agencies, and other organizations.

As stated in the attached copy of the Revised Public Service Rules 2021 (PSR 020909), the Federal Public Service’s Eight (8)-Year Tenure Policy requires directors to retire after eight years in that rank. Tetshoma Dafeta, the Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Health, signed the memo announcing the order’s enforcement at the FMOH.

It states: “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.”

“Accordingly, all Heads of Agencies and Parastatals are by this circular, to ensure that the affected staff hand over all official documents/possessions with immediate effect, their salaries are stopped by the IPPIS Unit and mandate the officers to refund to the treasury all emoluments paid after their effective date of disengagement.

“This is reiterated in a circular recently issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Ref. No. HSCF/3065/Vol.I/225, dated 10″ February 2026. A copy is herewith attached for guidance, please.

“In addition, you are to forward the nominal roll of all directorate officers
(CONMESS 07/CONHESS 15/CONRAISS 15) In your institution, send to [email protected] and [email protected]. You may please note that officials from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Ministry will conduct a monitoring exercise to ensure compliance.

“Failure to adhere to paragraph 2 above shall be met with stiff sanctions.”

In July 2023, Folasade Yemi-Esan, the former head of the Federation’s civil service, stated that the updated Public Service Rules will go into effect.

Yemi-Esan said the updated PSR went into effect on July 27, 2023, during a lecture held in honour of 2023 Civil Service Week at the State House in Abuja.

The updated regulations were communicated to Permanent Secretaries, the Federation’s Accountant-General, Auditor-General, and heads of extra-ministerial departments by a circular issued by the Head of Service.

“Following the approval of the revised Public Service Rules (PSR) by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on September 27, 2021, and its subsequent unveiling during the public service lecture in commemoration of the 2023 Civil Service Week, the PSR has become operational with effect from July 27, 2023,” the circular read.

The updated PSR’s Section 020909 states that permanent secretaries have a four-year term limit, with the possibility of renewal contingent only upon satisfactory performance.

Additionally, after eight years in that role, a director (GL 17) or their equivalent is required by law to retire.