Nigerian Maintenance Culture: An Institution Into Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST)

Project and Seminar material for Public Administration

Abstract

This research work was done on Nigerian maintenance culture an investigation to Nigerian postal service, NIPOST. Is an autonomous extra- ministerial organization. It is cross dimensional. To be more concise this work is restricted to Enugu territory. NIPOST is unique. The same coma any where in Nigeria. This subject has a lot to do with safe guarding, projecting the reliability and prolonging the life span of NIPOST properties with material, valuable and non- material valuable instead of abandoning and replacement which may incure high cost it involves the management of the Nigerian postal service (NIPOST) and also the federal government. The aim is to find out how to spirit of maintenance work is maintained in NIPOST. This write up is based on data collected and presented for NIPOST tact book oral and other manual. It was ascertain that maintenance have being a way of life in NIPOST. Although not absolute but deficient in many areas. Every area in relation to the system was critically reviewed.

Chapter One

Introduction

1.1 An Overview

Nigerian postal service (NIPOST) is one of the parastatals under he ministry of communications ,meanly known as post and telecommunication. (P&T)

The defunction of (P&T) in the year 1985 brought NIPOST into existence. This parastateded since its inception in the year 1985. has its headquarters atLagoswith Branches all over the state (Territories) this establishment deals mainly with postal services which includes mail and its components. All efforts to develop a maintenance culture in our people depend to a large extent on the life style of the leaders. It is therefore obligatory for our leaders as individual and government to consistently strive to ensure this culture in all its ramification.

The federal governments conscious of the need to hiculcate this issue in Nigerian citizen concerning paying more attention to maintenance setup a committee in 1979 to look into the various aspect of maintenance set up a committee 1979 to look into the various aspect of maintenance in the country. To control the propensity of an average Nigerian to replace instead of repair and maintained.

A good example of the this sort now is the petroleum trust fund (PTF) charged with the rehabilitation of all the made in the country had much to waste. Maintenance is necessary as a way of life of life other wise we remain a nation without past. Prevention is better than cure” this philosophy is an old adage which refers to this word maintenance instead of replacement. The virtues of maintenance are numerous. It minimizes uncertainties on the performance it increase reliability plan and projection are made to improved efficiency thereby reduces period of insectivity due to break down.

Furthermore, maintenance is defined as a combination of any action carried out to retain on item in on restore it to an acceptable conditions in other wise maintenance is a combination of management financial engineering and other practices applied to physical asset in pursuit of economic life cycle cost. This also include a reasonable element of worn-out components with up –to – data. However because of technological developments one could discover that such replacements. One could not that such replacement are sometime not exactly as the same as the original.

The main aim of maintenance is the prologation of the life of an asset. Since use bring about deterioration. Assets have life span which when tied to responsible use will in turn excompass activities that retain the asset ; in good shape one of such activities is maintenance. Other is culture behaviour towards the asset “people living in glass house do not throw stone. If one does throw stones near glass house”

Having mentioned that maintenance is a combination of management finance, engineering and other application. It is the responsibility of the management to encompasses maintenance as one of the major aspect of the annual budget effective and efficient maintenance. Management require the availability of finance and capable manpower.

1.2 The Background of the Study

there is every need for maintenance culture. The absence of this culture has created a lot of problem n our socio- economic life. Maintenance culture is the ability of people which have become their way of life to constantly maintain in their highest efficiency all they value most in life so that, they could be of greatest use to them. It involve human being in that your need exercise regular medical and nourishment. Material good also require constrain repairs. Culture is not just singing and dancing. It is the totality of our way of life. The way the collective responsibility of the people to ensure the survival of the community. We are therefore duty bound to build and maintain a society and environment which our descendant would be proud of. Assuming you have a car and do not maintain it always or regularly, in no time it will fail completely and probably, cost more to repair it. In other words, maintenance culture has both material value and non-material because, gain imbibed material there are economic gain meager resource 40 wasteful for us to use to build and neglect and build again. Most of the historical building, invention books parks, statue and other cultural artifacts which we stream to other part of the world because the ability of their owners to maintain and preserve them over decades for instance, the Greek temples of Athens the British house of parliament and Burkingham place to mention but a few.

The main aim of this report is to examine the existence of maintenance inNigeriapostal service (NIPOST) .NIPOST need a special work shop on maintenance culture, particularly in view of the present economic and social situation. This will enable us update buildings giving them new coatings vehicles pane beaten and sprayed and maintained and equipments repaired and maintained.

Maintenance will enable NIPOST to staid and acquire more technology, with proper maintenance Nipost buildings, vehicles machines both their heavy and the plants will generally last for years. The virtue of maintenance are numerous. It minimizes uncertainties in performance both land and production cost which increases machine reliability. It reduces period of activity due to break. The responsibly of maintenance is carried out by the work shop.

This workshop has eight (8) sections:-

Postal and allied Equipment section.
Mental section
Carpentry section.
Auto- Electrical section
Air –condition and Refrigeration section
Personnel section
Transport section

There sections are charged with responsibility of maintenance in Nipost. For any type of maintenance to be carried out, there must be an approval from the area postal manager. Depending on the nature of the repair. Also depending on the nature of the repair also the availability of fund where such repairs involve very heavy sum of money and approval for the release of fund must come from the post master- general” maintenance culture” is perhaps the most important bold initiative by the federal government which Nipost as one of federal government has inculcate in its execution to ensure that the propensity to replace instead of repair is drastically reduce mostly as this time of economic recession in the country.

To enable Nipost consolidate what it has more priority must be places on maintenance. It is the same story every where, they is need for maintenance culture in Nipost. This culture being the ability of this organization to maintain in their efficiency all their valuable so as to be in greatest use.

1.2 Statement of Problem

In spite of the existence of maintenance culture in NIPOST. There have been an increase in the rate of abaudon offices building vehicles and equipment all over.

The objective of maintenance culture is to ensure consistent repairs for the survival of the organization since the management cannot afford new grand lose projects even the wasteful life style of the past. During the era of all boom, purchases were made any how because the cash backing was more than available .now, it is no longer so, there are a lot of abodon equipment, vehicles, uncompleted projects here and there, most of the buildings are noe in a dilapidated from with leakages all over which could not be maintained. Conseqnuently, it becomes very imperatille, moreso as NIPOS is hiching to be commercialized also being a social service oriented, whose operational efficiency and effectiveness depend on the trust and confidence of the general public. Maintenance is very vital to avoid break it will also involve a critical study of the organization of NIPOST, the nature of business ethics a detail study an investigation to ascertain:

The extent of maintenance consistency in the application of maintenance culture NIPOST.
To identify and elaborate the extent of maintenance culture in NIPOST is general .
To evaluate the strength and weakness of this measure in this organization .
To find out the level of staff and corporate awareness of the existence of maintenance culture constitute a continuous corporate culture.
To identify possible loop hole (if any) and corrective measure where appropriate.
To analyse the way and means of carrying out this culture.
To analyse the way and means of carrying out the culture.
To make recommendation based on the findings with respect to the need for the existence of culture in Nipost and to the masses.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

It has been asserted from a glance through the introduction that maintenance cultures is a component of every living organization, the absence of which will create a lot of problem in the organizations socio- economic life.

This is the ability of organization or people, their way of lie to constantly maintain in their highest efficiency all their valuables so as to be greatest use. In view of this country’s present economic and social situation, NIPOST must emphasize and stress the advantage of maintenance.

1.4 Research Question

The research is guided by the following research questions:

What is the extent of maintenance in NIPOST Enugu State?
Is there consistency in the application of maintenance culture NIPOS?
What are the forms of carrying out maintenance in NIPOST?
What is the level of staff and corporate awareness of the existence of maintenance culture?
What are the ways of carrying our maintenance culture in NIPOST?

1.5 Significance of the Study

Findings of this study will be relevant to government parastatal and agencies as well public institutions. The result of the study will emphasize on the need for establishment of adequate maintenance policy in other to enhance the deteriorating status of public infrastructures. More so, the result of the study will enable government to approve funds for maintenance of Government properties especially those within parastatal and agencies. The study will also raise the awareness of public and civil servants on the need to cultivate maintenance culture. Empirically, the study will contribute to the body of knowledge and serve as a reference material to both scholars and student who wishes to conduct further studies in related field.

1.6 Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This research study is limited to Nigeria postal service (NIPOST),Enugu. However, an empirical generalize view is limited to NIPOST Enugu. Maintenance is the broadcast area in the field of learning. This study was some how hindered a great deal due to the sensitive natiure of the subject and for security reason. The pressure of work also contributed a great deal considering it veritable nature in the field of technology. Further consideration was made based on time financial evaliability to the researcher.

1.7 Definition of Terms

Building:

A structure used with a roaf and wall,

Generally intended for use as a working or dwelling place. This means that houses, school, churches, hotels, factories and sheds are all building.

Plant:

All engineering machinery apparatus equipment mobile or stationary.

Maintenance:

Keeping in good repair or working order.

Culture:

It is the way of life a people , their traditions, behaviour in a borad sense, including their ideas, arts and infact, it is the social heritage which an individual acquire from his group.

Foundation:

These are strong base of building usually below the group level in which it is built up. It could be natural or artificial. The soil or rock which is immediately in contact with the bear wall column or partition bases is called natural foundation.

This supports the natural foundation.

Scrap:

Small unwanted pieces of material waste

Appurtenance:

Things that goes with another.

Chapter Five

Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation

5.1 Summary

This research work was done on Nigerian maintenance culture an investigation to Nigerian postal service using NIPOST Enugu State as case study. The study examined the extent of maintenance in NIPOST Enugu State. It ascertained if there consistency in the application of maintenance culture NIPOS and the forms of carrying out maintenance in NIPOST. The examined the level of staff and corporate awareness of the existence of maintenance culture and the ways of carrying our maintenance culture in NIPOST.

Survey research design was employed for the study and with aid of convenient sampling selected Thirty-Six (36) participant as the sample size for this study. The sources of data collection was both primary and secondary with the application of questionnaires as an instrument to gather the necessary data. The questionnaires were properly completed as well returned by only 30 respondent after being administered and this was a basis by which the primary data were collected. Textbooks, journals, articles, law reports, newspapers publications, were collected as secondary data, and also limitations to the study were indicated. Primary data collated was analyzed using simple percentage frequencies and tables and the result were similar to those of the responses drawn from the questionnaires.

5.2 Conclusion

Maintenance culture is a bedrock of infrastructural and facility development which should not be taken with levity. Nowadays, the importance of maintenance engineering and management within the firm has been resolutely enshrined. Likewise, given the recent interest shown by academics and practitioners on the maintenance of public facilities, the maintenance function has become more important in the public establishment and the role of maintenance has grown into a much more prominent purpose in the state. Different maintenance strategies that could be adopted to retain and continuously keep facilities in a safe and good working condition were examined.

From the analyses of the study, the following conclusions were drawn:

Forms of maintenance includes: Planned and Unplanned Maintenance, Preventive maintenance and Corrective maintenance.
Ways of carrying out maintenance culture includes: Servicing and Repairs, Rectification, Replacement, Renovation and Extension.
Although there exist staff and corporate awareness of maintenance culture, the extent at which maintenance is carried out in NIPOST Enugu is not encouraging.
Poor leadership, lack of maintenance policy, attitudinal problem and corruption are identified among others as the major causes of poor maintenance

5.3 Recommedation

Based on the above observations, the following recommendations are hereby considered:

There should be National policy on maintenance culture that would be effective at the three tiers of government.
Maintenance culture, as a course of instruction, should be introduced into all levels of Nigeria Education Curriculum.
Each state should, as a matter of duty, formulate maintenance policies that would guide its operational activities to enhance effectiveness and efficiency.
Leadership selection should be by merit rather than favouritism or tribalism because accomplishment of maintenance goals hangs on leadership.
A functional and workable anti-corruption system should be designed and installed in both private and public organisations with a view to preventing corrupt practices.
Facility manager or officer should be appointed to continuously keep assets or facilities in good working condition.
People should be sensitized and encouraged to embrace maintenance culture for the betterment of our dear nation.

Project Material Download