The Federal Ministry of Health has ordered the immediate disengagement of Directors who have served in the directorate cadre for at least eight years. According to a memo seen by our correspondent in Abuja on Tuesday morning, the impacted directors include those from the ministry, federal hospitals, and agencies, among others. According to sources, the Federal Government urged all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to enforce the eight-year term restriction for directors and permanent secretaries, following a new deadline established by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.
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."
In light of this, 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 immediately, that the IPPIS Unit halts their pay, and that the officers return to the Treasury all emoluments paid after the date of their disengagement.
This is 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 refer to the copy that is provided for guidance.
Furthermore, the nominal roll of all directorate officials (CONMESS 07/CONHESS 15/CONRAISS 15) must be submitted. Send to
Please take note 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.
Infractions of paragraph 2 above will result in severe penalties.
Remember how Folasade Yemi-Esan, the former head of the Federation's civil service, declared the start of the updated Public Service Rules in July 2023?
Yemi-Esan said 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, Auditor-General, and heads of extra-ministerial departments by a circular issued by the Head of Service.
The circular stated, "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."
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.