Breaking: Longstanding Health Directors Ordered to Retire Immediately by Ministry

With immediate effect, the Federal Ministry of Health has mandated that directors who have served in the directorate cadre for at least eight years be removed.

A memo sighted by our correspondent in Abuja on Tuesday morning states that among the directors impacted are those in the ministry, federal hospitals, and agencies.

In response to a new deadline established by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, the Federal Government reportedly ordered all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to implement the eight-year term restriction for directors and permanent secretaries on Monday.

The following is the text of the memo announcing the order’s enforcement at the FMOH, which was signed by Tetshoma Dafeta, the Director in charge of the Federal Ministry of Health’s Office of the Permanent Secretary: “In accordance with the Federal Public Service’s Eight (8)-Year Tenure Policy, which requires directors to retire after eight years in that rank, as stated in the Revised Public Service Rules 2021 (PSR 020909) copy attached, I am directed to remind you to take the necessary steps to ensure that all affected officers who have served eight years as Directors, effective December 31, 2025, are immediately disengaged from Service.”

Accordingly, all heads of agencies and parastatals are required by this circular to make sure that the impacted employees turn over all official documents and belongings right away, that the IPPIS Unit halts their salaries, and that the officers return to the Treasury all emoluments paid after the date of their disengagement.

This was reaffirmed in a circular published on February 10, 2026, by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (Ref. No. HSCF/3065/Vol.I/225). Please find a copy attached for your reference.

“You must also send the nominal roll of all directorate officers (CONMESS 07/CONHESS 15/CONRAISS 15).” Please forward to Agudosi.obinna@health.gov.ng and DHRM@health.gov.ng at your institution. Please be aware that in order to verify compliance, representatives from the Ministry and the Office of the Head of the Federation’s Civil Service will carry out a monitoring exercise.

“Strict penalties will be imposed for noncompliance with paragraph 2 above.”

Recall that Folasade Yemi-Esan, the previous head of the Federation’s civil service, declared in July 2023 that the updated Public Service Rules will go into effect.

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

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

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

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

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