The Federal Government has ordered Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to immediately discontinue the practice of placing civil servants on compulsory three-month pre-retirement leave, describing it as a misinterpretation of existing public service regulations.
The directive was contained in a circular issued by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, and distributed to ministers, permanent secretaries, service chiefs, and heads of government agencies.
According to the circular, the practice has no legal basis in the Public Service Rules and arose from a widespread misunderstanding of retirement procedures across MDAs.
The government clarified that the Public Service Rules only require retiring officers to give three months’ notice before their retirement date, participate in a mandatory one-month pre-retirement training, and use the remaining time to complete pension documentation.
Officials emphasised that the notice period should not be interpreted as automatic leave or withdrawal from duty.
“A retiring officer must give three months’ notice before the effective date of retirement. This is a notice requirement, not a leave entitlement,” the circular stated.
The government further explained that civil servants remain active employees throughout the notice period and are expected to continue performing their official duties unless formally granted leave under established service rules.
It added that retiring officers are not exempt from their responsibilities during this period.
“PSR 120243 does not exempt retiring officers from official duties during the notice period,” Walson-Jack noted.
The Federal Government therefore directed all MDAs to stop the practice of compelling officers to vacate their positions before their official retirement dates, warning that such actions contravene the Public Service Rules.
Under the clarified arrangement, retiring officers are to remain in service, continue performing their duties, and simultaneously take part in approved pre-retirement programmes while completing all pension-related processes.
