More than 500 civil servants with top positions might have to retire early, and this news is causing mixed reactions among employees.
The reason behind this is the newly revised Public Service Rules (PSR) for 2021 issued by the Federal Government. These rules state that directors who have been in their positions for eight years or more must retire early. Permanent secretaries will now have a four-year term, renewable for another four years based on their performance.
Around 512 directors who have worked for eight years or longer could be affected by these changes, leading to discussions and concerns about the impact on the civil service workforce.
The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan, has sent a memo to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, instructing them to strictly follow the new rules. However, some civil servants are worried about a conflict with the mandatory retirement age of 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service.
The revised PSR aims to create opportunities for career growth among junior staff by reducing overcrowding at higher levels within the civil service. Some civil service unions support the retirement clause, seeing it as a positive step for career advancement.