Federal Directors Face New Retirement Rule.

According to information gathered by our correspondent, the Federal Ministry of Finance has issued a directive in accordance with the recently introduced tenure limit for directors within the Federal Civil Service. Directors who have served for eight years in the directorate cadre are required to submit notices for early retirement.

A memorandum dated August 3, 2023, and signed by the Ministry’s Director of Administration, Mariya Rufai, was dispatched to all directors and heads of units in the ministry. The revised Public Service Rules, unveiled by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation on July 28, 2023, brought about this new policy.

In alignment with the revised rules, the Federal Government has instituted a tenure policy for Permanent Secretaries. While the rule stipulates a four-year term for Permanent Secretaries, it highlights that the duration can be extended based on performance evaluations. Moreover, directors who complete eight years of service will be subject to mandatory retirement at the end of the period.

The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan, emphasized the immediate implementation of the revised Public Service Rules across all ministries. Responding to this directive, the Ministry of Finance issued a memo stating, “In reference to the ‘2021 Revised Edition’ of the Public Service Rules effective from July 27, 2023, all Directors (SGL 17) with a tenure of eight years or more are required to submit their retirement notices.”

The memo further instructs affected directors to initiate the retirement documentation process with the Administration Department, in adherence to Section 020909 of the revised PSR. Additionally, these directors are expected to conduct a formal handover of responsibilities to the most senior officers within their respective Departments. As part of the retirement process, they must surrender all official documents, including Identification Cards and any official vehicles they may possess.

The Ministry’s memo concludes by urging all concerned parties to diligently adhere to the directives outlined in the internal circular.

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