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

The president signed the document shortly before the commencement of the virtual meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the Council Chambers, State House, Abuja, on Wednesday.

Speaking at the event, the president directed all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of government to set up maintenance departments in line with the provisions of the new Executive Order.

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

He stated that the government had already started utilising the policy to give facelift to some of its buildings like the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, and 24 others spread across the country.

“Since the approval of the policy by the FEC, 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 MDAs 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,” he said.

NAN reports that the council meeting was attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari; and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan.

Others are Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu; Women Affairs, Pauline Talen; and Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika; Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; as well as Minister of State Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba; and that of Science and Technology, Mohammed Abdullahi, also attended the meeting.