The Federal Government of Nigeria has suspended the tenure policy in the Federal Civil Service with immediate effect. The directive was contained in a circular to all Ministries Departments and Agencies signed by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita.

In a statement by the Director Communication in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Haruna Imrana stated that the Circular which conveyed the President’s directive on the suspension said the suspension is with immediate effect and all concerned are to comply accordingly.

In another development, the Federal Government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to build one thousand houses for the Federal Civil Servants in the country.

The suspended tenure policy in the Federal Civil Service may not affect political office holders as gathered by PRNigeria.

A top Director in the Federal Civil Service clarified that only mainstream officers in the service are to be affected with the new development.

Meanwhile PRNigeria learnt that the suspended policy which was introduced by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2009 had set a four-year tenure renewable only once for permanent secretaries in the Federal Civil Service in line with the 1999 Constitution.

The eight-year tenure ceiling also affected federal directors without prejudice to the extant circular which prescribes 60 years of age and 35 years of service for mandatory retirement. That policy is now suspended.

The then government took the action following a representation by the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF).

The then chairman of FCSC and Head of Service had disclosed there was inability of the then Federal Civil Service to renew itself as a result of chronic lack of vacancies, particularly at the top directorate level.