The Federal Executive Council (FEC), Wednesday said the immediate implementation of the facility management policy approved by FEC in 2019 for Federal Ministries, Department and Agencies by governments at both national and sub national levels will reduce the current high level of unemployment in the country.
Works and Housing Minister, Babatunde Fashola, while giving reports on the fact finding trip to assess the damage to public and private properties during the recent EndSARS protests, said the team see the policy as a”vehicle to help absorb and create immediate employment for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled Labour, in order to address huge unemployment and poverty related part of the problem”
“This is important because people have skills but we need to provide the economic environment in which those skills can become income earning and self rewarding.”
The policy which was approved by the Federal government in 2019 as part of measures to strengthen maintenance culture, especially of public infrastructures, was jettisoned soon after its approval.
The policy was to ensure regular budgetary provisions for maintaining public buildings like the Federal Secretariats and other major government buildings through engagements of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to boost job creation.
The team which comprised Ministers representing the South West in the Federal Executive Council, had visited Lagos following the protests and reported that “15 police stations were lost, commercial undertakings especially the ones in Lekki and many other parts in Surulere were damaged, some schools were also damaged, private properties were also damaged and public buildings like the city hall, the Lagos High Court, Lagos Forensic Laboratory and DNA Center, the Nigeria Ports Authority and the palace of the Oba of Lagos and many others were damaged.
Amongst the several other recommendations, the team also urged government to restore confidence in the police and their morale, by improving their welfare, whiles tracking the ongoing reforms being undertaken in the police force.
“We also urged the Federal Government to consider through the federal ministry of Health, issues of substance abuse amongst the populace and propose solutions because, this potentially affects mental health.
We made this recommendation mindful of the global opium and substance abuse crisis and the impact on our country as well. We think this is a matter that requires some attention and focus.
Lagos being the epic center, commercial and strategic city state in the south west and the country is where we should all go. That was what informed our visit to Lagos.
So, I just briefed council about the reports that were presented to us by the Lagos state government when we visit.
“The highlight of the brief was to make recommendations to the federal government to support Lagos State to restore damaged facilities especially those related to the maintenance of law and order and the administration of justice such as police, court buildings and forensic laboratory.
Fashola also made case for the Lagos High Court Judges for provision of some office accommodation as a temporary relocation
“ We also urged federal government to consider short to medium term support to small and medium businesses who were affected by the looting and arson which took place in Lagos and other parts of the country, to see if something can be done through the Central Bank Intervention Mechanism under the COVID-19 funding or any other related funding mechanism.
They called on the federal government to channel the assistance through the National Economic Council, the platform on which state governors meet, so that other states across the country who were also affected, businesses were damaged can benefit in addition to Lagos residence who may so be supported.
“We also urged federal government to undertake a thorough investigation into what happened in the Lekki Toll Plaza, particularly the role of the military and ensure that the outcome is made public with a view to achieving closure on the matter.
“We recommended that the federal government re-mobilize critical organs and agencies such as National Orientation Agency and formal educational institutions to focus on ethical re-orientation, inculcation of family values into the school curriculum.
He disclosed that the recommendations focused on etiquette, local reasoning, critical thinking, solution seeking, empathy, self respect, civic duty and human rights.
“We also recommended the Federal Government to actively seek and support the process of justice for all by ensuring that any of those apprehended and identified to be involved in the perpetration of this carnage be speedily brought to justice and fairly tried”
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