President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday signed into law the Executive Order 11 on national public buildings maintenance.

The signing of the document preceded the weekly virtual Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting at the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Speaking shortly before appending his signature, the President Buhari directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDA’s, to set up maintenance departments in line with the provisions of the new Executive Order.

He said the order gives legal backing to the country’s national maintenance policy, following its earlier approval by the FEC.

President Buhari added that government had already started utilising the policy to give face lift to some of its buildings like the federal secretariat Abuja and 24 others spread across the country.

He said, “Since the approval of the policy by the Federal Executive Council, the federal government has consciously started the implementation of maintenance of strategic facilities like the federal secretariat Abuja and federal secretariats in 24 states of the federation, where at least 40 people are now daily employed in each of those 24 secretariats.

“The office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation has approved the establishment of a department of federal public assets maintenance as a vital step in support of the implementation of this national policy, which is unprecedented in our history and approach to maintenance.

“In order to ensure the fullest implementation and impact of the policy, it is my pleasure to sign this Executive Order that ties maintenance direct to our economy.

“By this Order, I expect Ministries, Departments and Agencies to set out and ensure the operation of their maintenance departments and make necessary procurements for their maintenance in accordance with the provisions of the public procurement act.”

Meanwhile, the President is presiding over the Council meeting, which is physically attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha; Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan.

The ministers that were physically present were that of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed; Works and Housing, Mr. Babtunde Fashola; Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Talen and Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu.

Others were the Ministers of Aviation, Hadi Sirika; Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister Justice, Abubakar Malami; FCT, Mohammed Bello, as well as Ministers of State Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba and that of Science and Technology, Mohammed Abdullahi.