Chairman of Samak Properties, Esv. Sam Akanbi has said that Nigerian must be given sense of ownership by involving them in Goverment projects from conceptualisation to actual implementation and in maintenance of the infrastructures.
Esv. Akanbi made this known in an interview with Punch correspondent when responding to implementation of Executive Order 11 signed by the President Muhammadu Buhari for the maintenance and management of public infrastructure.
The Nigerian leader directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government (MDAs) to set up maintenance departments in line with the provisions of the new Executive Order which gives legal backing to the country’s national maintenance policy, following its earlier approval by the Federal Executive Council.
Esv Akanbi said it’s a very good initiative, adding that the government can only implement it by involving professionals. “Our major problem is bad maintenance culture. You don’t leave a property for 10 years without renovation, turnaround maintenance, and a yearly facelift”.
The Property guru commended the Goverment for involving Nigerians in construction of ongoing roads, rails infrastructure across the country. “It will encourage our people to be involved in the maintenance of our public infrastructure which will also give them a sense of ownership.
“When you are in charge of a property, you will do everything within your power to protect it. Once it is in your mindset that this is not government property but your own, you will take care of it, so immediate local communities where projects are located must be given a sense of ownership”, he said.
Responding to Goverment’s plan of selling public assets to raise revenue, Esv Akanbi said being of the school of thought, he does not believe in the sales of public assets. “However, given current realities, those assets should be sold but they should be sold transparently. It must involve professionals and international best practices must be adopted”.
Citing National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) as a good example to discourage sale of such strategic national assets. “Now, aside from the erratic power supply, the charges are so high. We are now made to pay for darkness. Such assets should not be handed over to a private investor whose ultimate aim is profit, who won’t consider some other factors.
Esv Akanbi pointed out that Goverment should select properties that are not being properly managed and dispose of them. “Because once it is sold, you are handing them over to private investors while every private investor aims to make a profit.
“Therefore, at the end of the day, the government will be dependent on the private sector to boost the economy. If the government must sell any of its assets, it must be to get the best possible result and value from such when run by private companies”, the property guru said.