The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has stressed the need for a strong maintenance culture to preserve the quality of public infrastructure, reassuring that his government has put in place structures to ensure the sustenance of the newly rebuilt Government Science Technical College (GSTC) and other government assets.
The governor said his administration has set up the Edo Public Building and Maintenance Agency to ensure that the maintenance of projects undertaken by the government was guaranteed.
Obaseki who was on an inspection tour of the College located in Ugbowo in the company of the Project Co-ordinator, Giles Omezi, said his administration is in conversation with foreign governments to organise exchange programmes to support technical education in Edo State.
He noted: “Maintenance is a major concern for us; it’s a cultural thing that we need to change and inculcate in the managers of Government assets and businesses. Maintenance has not been in the culture of governments and it is a part of our weakness.
“As part of our transformation exercise currently going on, maintenance is being emphasized, as we have created Edo Public Building and Maintenance Agency. They are training officers and maintenance managers, informing them on what to do and how to maintain government properties.”
“We are also looking at exchange programmes; bringing retired teachers who are volunteers to come and support our technical training system here,” the governor added.
On her part, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Okodugha Birgitta Eno, who commended the governor for his developmental strides in the education sector, said the College will be a service center for artisans to do their projects.
She said: “We are looking at a new section and working on the September date. Artisans working at the spare parts market at Evbareke will be coming here as their services center whenever they have projects.
“Machines will be put in place for the public to access and the children learn in the process. This will be commercialized and a source of revenue for the government.”
Also, the principal of the school, Onaiwu Fredrick noted: “The governor made a promise to build the school to international standard and matched his words with action and today see what we have. The governor has assured us that from now till September all things will be put in place.”
