By Cross Udo
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday signed into law Executive Order 11 on the national public buildings maintenance policy
The signing of the document preceded the weekly virtual Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting at the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Speaking shortly before appending his signature, President Buhari directed all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, MDA’s, to set up maintenance departments in line with the provisions of the new Executive Order.
He said the order gives legal backing to the country’s national maintenance policy, following its earlier approval by the FEC.
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President Buhari added that the government had already started utilizing the policy to give facelift t to some of its buildings like the federal secretariat Abuja and 24 others spread across the country.
He said on the 4th day of January 2019, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing presented a Policy Memorandum to the FEC seeking the approval of a Draft National Public Building Maintenance Policy which was granted.
The Policy, he explained set out guidelines for the maintenance of Federal Government Buildings and Assets by professional standards to ensure the protection and lasting utilization of the investments that have been made by way of provision of public infrastructure.
The memorandum, he also said, 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 a gainful and rewarding engagement.
According to him, 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 this shobyuld be extended to all buildings owned and or occupied by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of the Federal Government.
He said, “Since the approval of the policy by the Federal Executive Council, the federal government has consciously started the implementation of maintenance of strategic facilities like the federal secretariat Abuja and federal secretariats in 24 states of the federation, where at least 40 people are now daily employed in each of those 24 secretariats.
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“The office of the Head of 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.
“To ensure the fullest implementation and impact of the policy, it is my pleasure to sign this Executive Order that ties maintenance direct to our economy. By this Order, I expect Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to set out and ensure the operation of their maintenance departments and make necessary procurements for their maintenance in accordance with the provisions of the public procurement act.”
He commended the National Policy for the consideration of the State and Local Governments and indeed the Private Sector.
The President further said, “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.
“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.
“I hope that this Order will open the door to this treasure of opportunities for young Technicians, for Artisans, Vendors and Suppliers, and Small Businesses and Cottage Industries.”
On the benefits of Executive Order 11, President Buhari said, “Some of the expected benefits of the implementation of the approved National Policy on Public Building Maintenance are job creation for skilled and unskilled labor and the expansion of opportunities for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises who produce and supply all of the tools and materials required to support maintenance.”
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Meanwhile, the President is presiding over the Council meeting, which is physically attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha, Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan.
The Ministers that were physically present were that of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, Works and Housing, Mr. Babtunde Fashola, Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Talen and Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu.
Others were the Ministers of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, Communications, and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister Justice, Abubakar Malami, FCT, Mohammed Bello, as well as Ministers of State Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba and that of Science and Technology, Mohammed Abdullahi.
Other Ministers joined virtually from their various offices in Abuja.
