Wednesday, February 18 2026 -The Federal Ministry of Health has ordered an immediate disengagement of directors who have spent at least eight years in the directorate cadre with immediate effect.
The directors affected include those in the ministry,
federal hospitals, and agencies, among others. The PUNCH gathered.
This is according to a memo sighted by our correspondent in
Abuja on Tuesday.
The Federal Government directed all Ministries, Departments,
and Agencies to enforce the eight-year tenure limit for directors and permanent
secretaries, following a new deadline set through the Office of the Head of
Civil Service of the Federation.
The memo announcing the enforcement of the order at the FMOH
signed by the Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary at the
Federal Ministry of Health, Tetshoma Dafeta, read, “Further to the Eight
(8)-Year Tenure Policy of the Federal Public Service, which mandates the
compulsory retirement of Directors after eight years in that rank, as provided
in the Revised Public Service Rules 2021(PSR 020909) copy attached, 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
to DHRM@health.gov.ng and Agudosi.obinna@health.gov.ng. 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.”
Recall that in July 2023, the former Head of Civil Service
of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan, announced the commencement of the
revised Public Service Rules.
Speaking at a lecture at the State House, Abuja, to mark the
2023 Civil Service Week, Yemi-Esan stated that the revised PSR took effect from
July 27, 2023.
The Head of Service issued a circular addressed to Permanent
Secretaries, the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Auditor-General for
the Federation, and heads of extra-ministerial departments, informing them of
the revised rules.
“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.
According to Section 020909 of the revised PSR, the tenure
limit for permanent secretaries is four years, with a possible renewal based
only on satisfactory performance.
The rules also stipulate that a director (GL 17) or its
equivalent shall compulsorily retire after eight years in that position.
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