By Sandra Kenneth
The Abia State Government has ordered all permanent secretaries, heads of non-ministerial departments, and heads of parastatals to immediately compile lists of civil servants due for retirement to enforce its three-month pre-retirement leave policy.
The directive was contained in an internal memo dated October 12, 2026, and signed by the State Head of Service, Benson Ojeikere. According to the memo, the policy ensures full and timely compliance with the mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave for all qualifying officers.
Policy Scope and Compliance Guidelines
The mandatory pre-retirement leave policy applies to:
• Officers reaching the statutory retirement age of 60 years or 35 years of service.
• Officers affected by the eight-year tenure policy for directors.
The memo instructed all Heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to identify eligible officers, direct them to proceed on leave on schedule, and expedite their retirement and pension documentation within approved timelines. Any operational challenges are to be escalated immediately to the Office of the Head of Service.
Tackling Pension Delays
Confirming the directive, Head of Service Benson Ojeikere explained that the policy was enforced because some affected staff members were refusing to proceed on leave. He noted that the three-month window is specifically designed to allow retiring workers to initiate their pension processing so that payments can commence immediately after their salary stops.
“We are struggling to achieve that. But these people, they will not start the process. You know, those three months are to enable them to start the process of working their pensions. The government will still be paying them, while their pensions are being worked out,” Ojeikere stated.
He lamented that delays spanning two to four months before pension disbursement damage the image of both the public service and the state. However, he noted that exceptions would be made for critical staff required for proper handovers, provided formal written approval is obtained from his office
