Reps Move Against Retirement Of Directors After 8 Years

House of Representatives has started the process of abrogating the Federal Government Policy on Compulsory retirement of Public Servants who have attained Eight Years as Directors in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The Green Chamber directed its committees on public service matters and legislative compliance to investigate the revised section 8 (020819) on the government policy on compulsory retirement.

This was sequel to the adoption of a motion moved by the House Leader, Hon. Julius Ihonvbere, the Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda and Hon. Ishaya David Lalu from Plateau at plenary.

Moving the motion, Chinda said there was a circular dated July 27, 2023, with reference No. HCSF/SPO/268/T3/2/37, “The Revised Public Service Rules (PSR)”, issued by the Head of Service. directing public servants to comply with the Public Service Rules, 2021, Section 8 (020810) (iv) (a).

He said the Section which stipulated the compulsory retirement for directors after eight years, whether or not the director has reached the biological retirement age of 65 years or 40 years in service, was in direct conflict with the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act, 2022.

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According to the Minority Leader, teachers are public servants with some as directors in the Federal Ministry of Education and it was counterproductive for directors to be compulsorily retired upon the expiration of eight years in office as directors when they have not attained the retirement age of 65 or 40 years.

Chinda noted that; “there is paucity of experienced, trained, youthful, intellectually sound and globally exposed public servants at grade level 17 as Directors in the different Ministries, Departments and Agencies that drive the civil service for productivity and service.

“Directors attained their positions through years of hard work, excellence, dedication, and management skills development through local and international trainings using Nigerian resources.

“These cadre of Directors having built capacity in relevant areas are now facing the threat of compulsory retirement from service upon the expiration of eight years in position as Directors when they have not attained the age of 60 years nor 35 years in public service, thereby robbing the nation of their years of experience, creativity, expertise, innovation, ingenuity and transformative ideas, which will negatively impact productivity in the public service and by extension, the economy.”

He expressed concern that noncompliance with the provisions of the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act, 2022, which provided for the retirement age for teachers as 65 or attainments of 40 years in pensionable public service, may have dire consequences.