The Nasarawa State Government has flagged off a Maintenance Week to sensitise civil servants on the proper use and care of the New State Secretariat Complex built by Gov. Abdullahi Sule.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Secretariat Maintenance, Mr Abubakar Musa, announced this during an engagement with civil servants in Lafia on the proper handling of facilities at the complex.
Musa said the week-long activity, which runs from Monday to Friday, was approved by Governor Sule to instill a culture of collective responsibility for the upkeep of government assets.
“Maintenance is not the responsibility of just one person; it concerns everyone. The objective is to engage civil servants on the proper use and care of the new facilities built by His Excellency,” he said.
He explained that the current structure was commissioned a year ago and that the administration engaged facility managers and investors for cleaning and general upkeep of the complex due to the Governor’s passion for the edifice.
According to him, staff are being trained on daily facility care, proper use of air conditioners, safe switching off of electrical appliances and handling fire emergencies using fire extinguishers.
“Specialised lecture sessions are ongoing for civil servants in the complex to teach them how to handle the facilities with extreme care,” he said
He rated the current maintenance of the facility at 90 percent, noting that the governor was deeply impressed with its pristine condition during his visit.
“Everywhere you look, the environment is clean, gardens are green and well-kept, and essential utilities such as air conditioning, lighting, and elevators are fully functional,” he said.
In his remarks, the Director of Human Resources in the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Osoweshi Adikwu, thanked Governor Sule for approving the Maintenance Week.
Adikwu said the initiative demonstrates the Governor’s commitment to ensuring the longevity of the magnificent secretariat complex, which he described as arguably the best in Nigeria.
“This initiative shows that the Governor remains deeply committed to its proper upkeep. Maintenance ensures that a facility stands the test of time and aligns with the vision of providing a better and more conducive working environment for civil servants,” Adikwu said.
He added that the civil servants were actively participating in the programme to ensure the lessons learned were judiciously applied to guarantee the long-term durability of the secretariat.
On his part, the Facilitator from Oxford Facility Management, Mr Kenneth Ogbumudia, said facility management focuses on sustaining government assets by looking at their life cycle.
He said maintenance entails handling of physical assets to ensure they meet their life cycles, listing the types of maintenance as preventive, corrective and reactive.
Ogbumudia said that the overarching goal of investing in capital assets aimed at improving the working environment and enhance productivity while ensuring the safety and health of every worker.
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