The Federal Government has directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to immediately discontinue the practice of sending civil servants on what is usually referred to mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave, declaring that such a provision does not exist in the Public Service Rules (PSR).
The directive was contained in a circular issued by the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, and addressed to ministers, permanent secretaries, service chiefs, heads of government agencies and other senior public officials.
In the circular titled “Correct Interpretation of Public Service Rule 120243 on Pre-Retirement Activities,” the Head Service said Public Service Rules do not provide for any compulsory three-month leave before retirement.
Mrs. Walson-Jack noted that several MDAs had wrongly interpreted the retirement notice period as an automatic leave period, leading to the premature withdrawal of officers from active service.
She classified that PSR only requires officers due for retirement to give three months’ notice before their exit date, attend a one-month pre-retirement workshop or seminar, and use the remaining period to regularise service records and process pension documentation.
“A retiring officer must give three months’ notice before their effective date of retirement. This is a notice of requirement, not a leave entitlement,” the circular stated.
“PSR 120243 does not exempt retiring officers from official duties during the notice period, except when they are attending an approved pre-retirement workshop or seminar, or are otherwise authorised to be absent under extant leave rules,” the circular stated.
MDAs have been directed to stop compelling officers to vacate their official positions before their exact, official retirement dates.
The circular further instructed permanent secretaries, directors general, executive secretaries, chairpersons of statutory agencies, and chief executives of government organisations to bring the directive to the attention of all staff and ensure strict compliance.
