Government engages facility managers for 24 secretariats

Determined to ensure proper maintenance of public property, the Federal Government has engaged facility managers for 24 federal secretariats in the six geo-political zones.

The Director, Department of Federal Public Assets Maintenance in the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Tina Onokwai, who made this known while presenting a progress report in Abuja, explained that each would carry out the janitorial, security, horticulture and minor repairs, which include plumbers, electrical and mechanical engineers, carpenters, cleaners, gardeners and administrative staff.

“The 24 federal secretariats have engaged a total of 1,416 workers, thereby socially and economically impacting the Nigerian society and the Gross Domestic Product index (GDP) of the country ‘’ she stressed.

The Director added that the tools and consumables procured for the work of facility management were varied and included detergents, disinfectants, air fresheners brooms, glass wipes, industrial extension cables, scrubbing machines chemical sprayers, lawn mowers, sprinklers and hoses, among others.

“The ministry also carried out the rehabilitation in phases and the rehabilitation works in each secretariat engaged 5,445 direct labour, consisting of contractor and labour, 465 suppliers and 514 food vendors, while about 6,424 employment opportunities for skilled and unskilled Nigerians.”

She therefore reiterated that the rehabilitation and facility management works on the secretariats were in line with the National Public Buildings Maintenance Policy that provides framework and guidelines for the management and maintenance of all Federal Government-owned buildings across the country.

“The vision of the policy is that every government public building will be maintained in an efficient and sustainable manner to preserve the value of the asset and achieve the purpose for which it was built,” she remarked.

Expressing delight in the economic empowerment programmes, Onokwai stated that these will enhance purchasing power of market men and women as they engage in activities such as shopping for food stuffs, clothing, undertaking healthcare, paying rent or school fees and so on.

”This process positively drives money circulation in the economy from one economic sector to the other and on the side of the Federal Government, the economic impact is to improve asset value and preservation of public buildings.”

She, however, said that apart from ensuring better returns on investment, the process will optimise asset utilisation and promote efficiency of operations, especially among the staff thereby supporting the growth of maintenance economy.