THE Federal Ministry of Health has directed the immediate disengagement of directors who have spent eight years or more in the directorate cadre, in line with the Federal Government’s enforcement of tenure limits under the Revised Public Service Rules (PSR) 2021.
The directive, contained in an internal memo sighted by News Point Nigeria on Tuesday, affects directors within the ministry, federal hospitals, agencies, parastatals, and other affiliated institutions under the ministry’s supervision.
The move follows a broader Federal Government instruction mandating all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to strictly enforce the eight-year tenure policy for directors and a four-year renewable tenure for permanent secretaries.
The circular enforcing the order within the ministry was signed by Tetshoma Dafeta, Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Health.
The memo referenced Section 020909 of the Revised Public Service Rules 2021, which mandates compulsory retirement of directors after eight years in that rank.
It stated that all affected officers who had completed eight years in the directorate cadre as of December 31, 2025, must be disengaged from service immediately.
The memo further instructed heads of agencies and parastatals to ensure that affected officers hand over all official documents and property without delay.
In a firm directive, the ministry ordered that the salaries of disengaged officers be stopped immediately by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) unit.
It also mandated that any emoluments paid to affected officers beyond their effective date of disengagement be refunded to the treasury.
The circular warned that failure to comply would attract stiff sanctions.
Additionally, heads of institutions were directed to submit the nominal roll of all directorate officers — including those on CONMESS 07, CONHESS 15, and CONRAISS 15 salary structures — to designated official email addresses for verification and monitoring.
Officials from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the ministry are expected to conduct monitoring exercises to ensure full compliance.
The enforcement is rooted in the Revised Public Service Rules approved by the Federal Executive Council in September 2021 and formally operationalized in July 2023.
Former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan, had announced the implementation of the revised rules during the 2023 Civil Service Week lecture at the State House, Abuja.
According to the revised rules: Permanent Secretaries are limited to a four-year tenure, renewable only upon satisfactory performance.
Directors on Grade Level 17 (or equivalent) must compulsorily retire after eight years in that position.
The Office of the Head of Civil Service had recently issued a reminder circular dated February 10, 2026, reinforcing the need for immediate compliance across all MDAs.
While the number of directors affected within the health ministry has not been officially disclosed, insiders indicate that several senior officials across agencies and federal hospitals may be impacted.