Buhari backs up policy to reverse neglect of public and private property
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated the need to maintain public infrastructure, including buildings, a lack of which has dogged the country since independence, wasting funds on new structures when maintaining new ones is cheaper.
The President made the point in Aso Rock on Wednesday when he signed an executive order to back up the National Public Building Maintenance Policy.
His remarks at the event are reproduced below:
Policy outlines
1. On the 4th day of January, 2019, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing presented a Policy Memorandum to the Federal Executive Council seeking for the approval of a Draft National Public Building Maintenance Policy which was granted.
2. The Policy set out guidelines for the maintenance of Federal Government Buildings and Assets in accordance with professional standards in order to ensure the protection and lasting utilisation of the investments that have been made by way of provision of public infrastructure.
3. The memorandum recommended and Government accepted that maintenance of public buildings and facility management was not a matter of culture or lack of it, but a conscious economic driver that was required to support the output from our technical and vocational educational institutions by putting their skills into gainful and rewarding engagement.
4. The memorandum highlighted Federal Public Institutions such as Federal Government Colleges, Federal Correctional Facilities, Federal Court Buildings and Federal secretariats where maintenance and facility management were immediately required and recommended that these should be extended to ALL buildings owned and or occupied by Ministries, Departments and Agencies [MDAs] of the Federal Government.
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Creating jobs from maintenance
5. Some of the expected benefits of the implementation of the approved National Policy on Public Building Maintenance are job creation for skilled and unskilled labour and the expansion of opportunities for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises [MSMEs] who produce and supply all of the tools and materials required to support maintenance.
6. Since the approval of the Policy by the Federal Executive Council [FEC], the Federal Government has consciously started the implementation of Maintenance in Strategic Facilities like the Federal Secretariats in Abuja, Federal Secretariats in 24 States of the Federation, where at least 40 people are now daily employed in each of those 24 Secretariats in post rehabilitation maintenance and facility management.
7. The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has approved the Establishment of a Department of Federal Public Assets Maintenance as a vital step in support of the implementation of this National Policy, which is unprecedented in our history and approach to maintenance.
8. In order to ensure the fullest implementation and impact of the Policy, it is my pleasure to sign this Executive Order that ties maintenance directly to our economy.
Need for maintenance in the private sector
9. By this Order I expect [MDAs] to set up and ensure the operation of their Maintenance Departments and make necessary procurement for their maintenance, in accordance with the provision of the Public Procurement Act. I commend this National Policy for the consideration of the State and Local Governments and indeed the Private Sector.
10. Maintenance of Assets is more than a culture, it is an economy from which many can prosper and we must nurture and water that economy by policy and actions that create opportunities and inclusion for our people.
11. While it is true that our economy has been diversified and the non-oil sector is leading in terms of contribution to the Gross Domestic Product, the maintenance and facility management component of the services sector is an opportunity that is waiting to be maximized.
12. It is my hope that this Order will open the door to this treasure of opportunities for young Technicians, for Artisans, for Vendors and Suppliers and for Small Businesses and Cottage Industries.
13. Thank you and God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.