Folashade Yemi-Esan, Director General of the Civil Service,
As a result of the announcement of the amended Public Service Rules (PSR) by the Head of the Civil Service, Folashade Yemi-Esan, it is possible that more than 500 Directors working across various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies will be required to go through with compulsory retirement.
According to a circular that was dated July 27, 2023, Yemi-Esan issued a call to all Permanent Secretaries, the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Auditor-General for the Federation, and the Heads of Extra-Ministerial Department to guarantee compliance with the document.
A Director (GL 17) or its equivalent, as may be mandated by other MDAs, is required to retire in accordance with the terms of the amended PSR once they have served for a total of eight years in their current role.
According to PSR 020909, an employee who has been in their position for eight years and holds the title of Director or a comparable position, regardless of the terminology used to represent it in MDAS, is required to retire.
In a similar vein, the tenure of office for a Permanent Secretary is limited to a maximum of eight years, broken up into two terms of four years each, and it is only renewable if the position is filled with someone who provides sufficient performance.
The News Guru claimed sources within the Federal Civil Service as saying that as many as 500 Directors who have spent eight years on Grade Level 17 could be affected by the policy, which will invariably create openings within the system and stimulate career progression. The News Guru cited these sources as saying that the policy will encourage career progression.
The implementation of virtual meetings and engagements is another significant alteration that was made in the new PSR. This was done to encourage the use of technology to facilitate interactions that are more effective and timely between government officials, stakeholders, and the general public.
It is anticipated that the decision-making processes within the public sector would become more streamlined as a result of this shift, and that coordination will also improve.
A new Performance Management System (PMS) will take the place of the Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER) as a result of the implementation of the new PSR. The PMS will place an emphasis on the measurable output of employees in respect to particular abilities.
According to TheNewsGuru.com (TNG), the new method is intended to build a culture inside the civil service that is focused on the achievement of results by moving the emphasis away from simple evaluations and towards assessments that are based on performance.
A framework for recognising and rewarding excellent work and meritorious service has been included in the new PSR. The purpose of this framework is to motivate personnel by recognising their exemplary performance and contributions to the public service.
Recall that the Head of Civil Service for the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan, said that the implementation of the amended Public Service regulations had begun at the public service lecture that was conducted at the Presidential villa in Abuja to commemorate the civil service week. The lecture was given in honour of the civil service week.