The Abia State Government has directed all civil servants due for retirement to proceed on a mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave to enable smooth processing of their pensions and benefits.
The directive was contained in an internal memo dated October 12, 2026, signed by the State Head of Service, Benson Ojeikere, and addressed to all Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Parastatals and Heads of Non-Ministerial Departments.
According to the memo, the policy applies to officers who have attained the statutory retirement age of 60 years or 35 years of service, as well as Directors affected by the eight-year tenure policy. The government said compliance with the leave requirement is compulsory and immediate.
The Head of Service instructed all MDAs to identify officers due for retirement, direct them to proceed on leave as scheduled, and fast-track the processing of their retirement and pension documents within the approved timeline.
He further stated that any operational challenges encountered during implementation should be promptly escalated to the Office of the Head of Service for resolution, adding that the measure is aimed at preventing delays in payment of retirement benefits.
Abia Govt Enforces Mandatory 3-Month Pre-Retirement Leave For Civil Servants
