Maintenance of assets more than a culture, Buhari says, signs Executive Order on National Public Building Maintenance Policy

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday said that   maintenance of Assets is more than a culture, adding that it is an economy from which many can prosper. The President signing an Executive Order on National Public Building Maintenance policy, declared: “we must nurture and water that economy by policy and actions that create opportunities and inclusion for our people.”

He recalled that the memorandum was submitted by the Ministry of Works and Housing to the Federal Executive Council in 2019.

President Buhari signing the Executive Order, narrated that the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing presented a Policy Memorandum to the Federal Executive Council on January 4, 2019, seeking for the approval of a Draft National Public Building Maintenance Policy which was granted.

He expressed that 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 who produce and supply all of the tools and materials required to support maintenance.

The President noted that the Policy sets out guidelines for the maintenance of Federal Government Buildings and Assets in accordance with professional standards in order to ensure the protection and lasting utilization of the investments that have been made by way of provision of public infrastructure.

According to the President: “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.

“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 of the Federal Government.”

He said that since the approval of the Policy by the Federal Executive Council, the Federal Government has consciously started the implementation of Maintenance in Strategic Facilities like the Federal Secretariats, 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.

The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Buhari said, has approved the Establishment of a Department of Federal Public Assets Maintenance as a vital step in support of the implementation of the National Policy.

President Buhari declared: “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.

“By this Order I expect Ministries, Departments and Agencies 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 recommend this National Policy for the consideration of the State and Local Governments and, indeed, the Private Sector.”

The President maintained: “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.

“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.”