The House of Representatives has launched an investigation into a circular mandating compulsory retirement for directors with eight years of service, regardless of age or experience.
The circular, issued by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation in 2023, conflicts with the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act (2022), which sets the retirement age at 65 or 40 years of service.
Minority Whip, Rep. Kingsley Chinda (PDP-Rivers), sponsored the motion, co-sponsored by Rep. Julius Ihonvbere (APC-Edo) and Rep. Ishaya Lalu (LP-Plateau). Chinda argued that the circular would rob the nation of experienced directors’ expertise, negatively impacting productivity and the economy, according to NewsDiary.
The Speaker, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, tasked the Committees on Public Service Matters and Legislative Compliance with investigating the matter and reporting back for further legislative action.
“Teachers are public servants with some as directors in the
Federal Ministry of Education; it is, therefore, counter-productive for directors to be compulsorily retired upon the expiration of eight years in office when they have not attained the retirement age of 65 or 40 years.
“Also, 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 (MDAs) 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 cadres 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.
“This is 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 argued.
