The Federal Government has ordered all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to immediately stop placing civil servants on a mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, issued this directive in a circular addressed to ministers, permanent secretaries, service chiefs, and heads of agencies and made available to RibsMedia.
In the circular obtained by our correspondent, Walson-Jack noted that several MDAs have been wrongly interpreting the standard retirement notice period as an automatic leave entitlement.
She clarified that the rules actually require retiring officers to give a three-month notice, attend a one-month workshop, and use the remaining time to finalize their pension documentation.
“The so-called ‘mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave’ has no basis in the Public Service Rules,” Walson-Jack stated.
The Head of Service explained that Rule 120243 strictly outlines three distinct requirements: a formal notice obligation, a mandatory seminar in the first month, and the completion of paperwork over the final two months.
“A retiring officer must give three months’ notice before their effective date of retirement. This is a notice requirement, not a leave entitlement,” the circular stated.
By Afolabi Mustapha
