The Director, Department of Federal Public Assets Maintenance (FPAM) in the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing Arc. Tina Onokwai, said the Ministry has engaged Facility Managers for the 24 Federal Government Secretariats in the six geo-political zones.
She made this remark while presenting her departmental progress report at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja this week.
The Director explained that each Facility Manager carried out the Janitorial, Security, Horticulture and Minor repair works at the Federal Government Secretariats and a total number of Fifty-Nine (59) Workers, which included Plumbers, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, carpenters, cleaners, Security personnel, gardeners and administrative staff, were engaged by the Facility Managers.
“The 24 Federal Secretariats 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 stated.
She 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 while the procurement of these items enabled the creation of wealth even at the grassroots.
According to the Director, 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, including suppliers and food vendors nationwide were granted.
The Director reiterated that the rehabilitation and facility management works on the Secretariats were in line with the National Public Buildings Maintenance Policy that provided a framework and attendant 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 asset in the country 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 maintained.
She expressed delight that the Economic empowerment derived from these programmes drives, which according to her, drives the purchasing power of market men and women as they engage in economic activities such as shopping for food stuffs, clothing, undertaking healthcare, paying rent or school fees and so on improved within the period.
”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 the Asset value and preservation of Public Buildings,’’ She said , adding that aside ensuring better returns on investment , the process optimizes the asset utilization and Promotes efficiency of operations especially among the staff thereby supporting the growth of a Maintenance Economy.
Boade Akinola
Director (Press and Public Relations)
20th May , 2021
