Senate Moves to Stop Premature Retirement of Senior Fire Service Officers

 

The Senate Committee on Interior has proposed safeguards to prevent qualified senior officers of the Federal Fire Service from being bypassed in the appointment of the Controller-General, warning that such practices could trigger premature retirement and undermine career progression.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, made the position known on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, during the consideration of a proposed legislation seeking to repeal the existing Fire Service Act and establish a new legal framework for the service.

Oshiomhole argued that the proposed law should prioritise serving Deputy Controllers-General for appointment as Controller-General, except where objective considerations, such as age, years of service or other eligibility requirements, render them unsuitable.

He said appointing a more junior officer over qualified senior officers could force the latter to leave the service before attaining the statutory retirement age or completing their years of service.

The senator maintained that the proposed legislation should promote fairness, merit and international best practices rather than perpetuate administrative practices simply because they had become established.

According to him, where several Deputy Controllers-General are serving in the Federal Fire Service, it is reasonable to expect that at least one would be qualified to succeed an outgoing Controller-General.

He therefore proposed that the President should ordinarily appoint the head of the service from among serving Deputy Controllers-General, with clearly defined exceptions to guide any departure from the principle.

Oshiomhole also questioned a provision allowing the President to appoint the Controller-General from among serving officers not below the rank of Assistant Controller-General, arguing that it could undermine seniority and create uncertainty over career progression.

He stressed that public service laws should protect the legitimate expectations of officers who had risen through the ranks and prevent avoidable retirements resulting from appointments outside the established hierarchy.

The committee chairman acknowledged that similar practices existed in other security institutions, including the police and the military, but maintained that their existence did not necessarily justify incorporating them into new legislation.

He urged lawmakers to use the proposed law to address administrative practices that could disadvantage qualified officers and weaken confidence in the promotion system.

During the meeting, a senator who is a retired military officer asked whether the Federal Fire Service operated an age-or-rank rule similar to that of the military, under which officers may be required to leave the service when a junior officer is promoted above them.

In response, the committee was informed that the service requires an officer appointed as Controller-General to have at least 18 months remaining before retirement.

An officer who does not meet the requirement may serve in an acting capacity but cannot be appointed substantively.

Senate Examines Confidentiality, Freedom of Information

The committee also examined provisions on the disclosure of official information and the confidentiality obligations of Federal Fire Service personnel.

Oshiomhole acknowledged the need to protect legitimate confidential information held by public institutions but cautioned against using confidentiality provisions to undermine citizens’ rights to access information and demand accountability.

The proposed legislation requires officers and personnel of the service to keep information obtained in the course of their official duties confidential and prohibits its use for personal or unauthorised purposes.

However, it provides exceptions where disclosure is required by a court of competent jurisdiction or permitted under the proposed law, while preserving rights of access to information under the Freedom of Information Act and other applicable laws.

The committee chairman stressed that the legislation must remain consistent with the Constitution and existing laws, noting the need to balance legitimate confidentiality requirements with transparency and accountability.

Committee Questions N200,000 Penalty

The committee further scrutinised a proposed general penalty for violations of the legislation where no specific punishment had been prescribed.

The provision stipulates a fine of N200,000, imprisonment for two months, or both, upon conviction.

Lawmakers also discussed the proposed repeal of the existing Fire Service Act and the need to ensure that the new legislation adequately addresses the legal status of actions taken under the previous law.

The Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, MBA, MDRM, FCNA, ACTI, represented the service at the meeting, where its management expressed appreciation to the committee for its work.

Oshiomhole said the committee would subject the proposed legislation to further scrutiny, including reviewing provisions that had not been adequately explained.

He emphasised that lawmakers should not rush the legislative process, stressing that a careful examination of the provisions was necessary to produce a law that would serve the interests of the service, its personnel and the public.