The Federal Government has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to immediately stop the practice of placing civil servants on a mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave, stating that such a provision does not exist in the Public Service Rules.

The directive was contained in a circular issued by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, who clarified the interpretation of Public Service Rule 120243 on pre-retirement activities.

According to the circular, some MDAs have wrongly treated the three-month retirement notice period as an automatic leave, leading to the premature withdrawal of officers from active service.

Walson-Jack explained that the rule only requires officers due for retirement to give three months’ notice, attend a one-month pre-retirement workshop or seminar, and use the remaining period to regularise service records and pension documentation.

“The so-called mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave has no basis in the Public Service Rules,” she stated.

She noted that retiring officers remain in active service throughout the notice period and are expected to continue performing their official duties except when attending approved pre-retirement programmes or when otherwise authorised under existing leave regulations.

“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.

The Head of Service directed all MDAs to stop compelling retiring officers to vacate their offices before their official retirement dates.

Under the new directive, retiring officers are expected to continue discharging their responsibilities while completing pension and service record documentation before leaving service.

Permanent secretaries, directors-general, executive secretaries, chairpersons of statutory agencies and chief executives of government organisations have been directed to ensure strict compliance with the directive.

The clarification is expected to affect thousands of federal civil servants approaching retirement annually.

For years, many MDAs interpreted the retirement notice period as an extended leave, allowing officers to stay away from work while awaiting retirement processing.

The government said the directive would help standardise the implementation of the Public Service Rules, improve service delivery and ensure experienced officers remain productive until their official exit dates.

Under existing regulations, federal civil servants retire upon attaining 60 years of age or after 35 years of service, whichever comes first.