RismadarVoice Reporters
February 17, 2026
The Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) has ordered the immediate disengagement of directors who have spent eight years in the directorate cadre, in line with the Revised Public Service Rules (PSR) 2021.
The affected officials include directors in the ministry, federal hospitals, agencies, and other health institutions, according to a memo sighted in Abuja on Tuesday.
The development follows a directive by the Federal Government mandating all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to enforce the eight-year tenure limit for directors and permanent secretaries.
The new deadline was communicated through the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF).
In a memo signed by Tetshoma Dafeta, Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Health, the ministry directed immediate compliance with the policy.
The memo reads in part:
“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), 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.”
The circular instructed all Heads of Agencies and Parastatals to ensure that affected officers hand over official documents and government property without delay.
It also directed that their salaries be stopped by the IPPIS Unit and mandated the officers to refund any emoluments received after their effective date of disengagement.
The memo referenced an earlier circular from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Ref. No. HCSF/3065/Vol.I/225, dated February 10, 2026, reiterating the enforcement directive.
Additionally, agencies were directed to forward the nominal roll of all directorate officers (CONMESS 07/CONHESS 15/CONRAISS 15) to designated ministry email addresses.
The memo warned that officials from the OHCSF and the ministry would conduct monitoring visits to ensure compliance, adding that failure to adhere to the directive would attract stiff sanctions.
In July 2023, former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan, announced the commencement of the Revised Public Service Rules following approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on September 27, 2021.
Speaking at a lecture marking the 2023 Civil Service Week at the State House, Abuja, Yemi-Esan stated that the revised PSR became operational on July 27, 2023.
According to Section 020909 of the Revised PSR, permanent secretaries are to serve a four-year tenure, renewable only upon satisfactory performance.
The rules further stipulate that a Director (Grade Level 17) or its equivalent shall compulsorily retire after eight years in that position.
The latest directive signals the Federal Government’s resolve to enforce tenure limits within the public service.
