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.
The directive, contained in a memo sighted in Abuja on Tuesday, applies to directors in the ministry, federal hospitals, agencies and other affiliated institutions.
The move follows a Federal Government directive mandating all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to enforce the eight-year tenure limit for directors, as communicated by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF).
The memo, signed by Tetshoma Dafeta, Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary at the FMoH, stated that directors who had completed eight years in the rank as of December 31, 2025, must be disengaged from service immediately.
It referenced Section 020909 of the Revised Public Service Rules (PSR) 2021, which provides for the compulsory retirement of directors after eight years in that position.
The circular directed heads of agencies and parastatals under the ministry to ensure that affected officers hand over all official documents and property without delay. It also ordered that their salaries be stopped through the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and that any emoluments paid beyond their effective date of disengagement be refunded to the treasury.
The ministry cited an earlier circular from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation dated February 10, 2026, reinforcing compliance with the tenure policy.
Institutions were further instructed to submit the nominal roll of all directorate officers including those on CONMESS 07, CONHESS 15 and 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 sanctions.
The tenure policy stems from the Revised Public Service Rules approved by the Federal Executive Council in September 2021 and formally operationalised on July 27, 2023.
Under the rules, permanent secretaries have a tenure of four years, renewable only upon satisfactory performance, while directors (Grade Level 17) are required to compulsorily retire after eight years in the rank.
