By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
The Federal Ministry Works and Housing has engaged 24 facility managers of federal government secretariat across the six geo-political zones on public assets management.
The Director, Department of Federal Public Assets Maintenance (FPAM) in the Ministry Arc. Tina Onokwai, made the disclosure while presenting her departmental progress report at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja , recently.
Onokwai explained that each facility manger carried out the Janitorial, Security, Horticulture and minor repair works at the Federal Government Secretariats .
This was contained in a statement signed and issued by Boade Akinola, the Director of Press and Public Relations.
She said with various repairs a total number of Fifty-Nine (59) workers were involved such as plumbers,
Electrical ,Mechanical Engineers and carpenters.
Others are cleaners, security personnel, gardeners and administrative staff.
She pointed out that “the 24 federal secretaries engaged a total number of 1,416 workers . This has therefore socially and economically impacted the Nigeria society and the gross domestic product index(GDP) of the country ‘’ she stated.
She explained 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.
Others are scrubbing machines chemical sprayers, lawn mowers, sprinklers and hoses .
She said the procurement of these items has 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 .
She stated that 465 Suppliers and 514 food vendors, 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,’’
