Long Service Award: Julius Berger Nigeria Plc Assures Workers of Brighter Years Ahead

…As Retiring Executive Director of Administration, Alhaji Zubairu Ibrahim Bayi Bags Award for 40 years of Honourable Service

Julius Berger Nigeria Plc has assured its workers of brighter days and a progressively better future with it.  The foregoing was the central theme of the speeches by the Executive Management and the different management at the regional operations of the company by which the company assured the workers of their sustainable jobs, careers and future with the engineering construction corporation.

At the well-attended, colourful, and exciting ceremony in Abuja where the head office of the company is located, the full complement of the executive management was present. The Managing Director, Engr. Dr. Lars Richter led other members of the executive management committee including the executive director Administration, Alhaji Zubairu Ibrahim Bayi, Fniob, the Financial Director, Christian Hausemann; and the Executive Director, Corporate Development, Tobias Meletschus to the ceremony.

Giving his traditional speech at the ceremony in Abuja, Alhaji Bayi expressed gratitude to God and informed the workers that, “…taking stock of our activities, we can factually call year 2023 a year of great achievements for Julius Berger.”  Speaking to the macro-economic challenges still manifest in the country’s business environment, the company, Bayi said, still has been able to make visible progress and has achieved appreciable growth in its operation and revenues. “For practical and good reasons of well-founded and living hope, Julius Berger’s faith in Nigeria’s developmental agenda remains robustly optimistic and positive,” said Alhaji Bayi, adding that “Like Nigeria, Julius Berger shall prevail. In that regard, as always, we place good reliance on the ever-productive catholic marriage between our hardworking Management and our committed and dependable workers.”

On the business status and projects portfolio of the company,Bayi said “…from the Federal Government to the State Governments and through to the Private sector, our energetic Executive Management ably led by Engr Lars Richter and strongly enabled by our comprehensively resourced, cross-sectorally experienced, and well-blended Board of Directors, continue to break new grounds in business acquisitions to increasingly enhance our projects portfolio. The Board of Directors and Executive Management remains very dynamic and alive to their responsibilities.”

Turning to the workers, Bayi said, “…as for you, the great workers of our progressive company, your continuing hard work, commitment, resilience, experience and cooperation, as well as the meticulous planning and continuous investments in both human capital and technology by the Company have all helped greatly in the laudable progress we have continued to achieve as a corporate entity.” He seized the moment to thank the Executive Management and the Board of Directors and the company’s indefatigable workers for the wonderful achievements they cooperatively, peacefully recorded during the 2023 business year.

The staff were given various awards marked out in ranges of 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 years; the 45 years service award being received by the happy Julius Berger veteran, Joe Ogungbe.

Significantly, the company’s executive director of administration, Alhaji Zubairu Ibrahim Bayi, a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Building, who is retiring from service at the end of the year, also received an award for successful and honourable service of 40 years to Julius Berger Plc at the Abuja event.

Bayi thanked the spouses of every award recipient for their support, encouragement, and perseverance through the years and decades. “Without your co-operation, these recipients would not have had the peace and zeal to perform their successful duties for which they are now honoured. We are therefore grateful for all you have done to make this day possible,” said Bayi.

Speaking specifically on his retirement, Alhaji Bayi very graciously enjoined the workers to cooperate with and ensure that his successor in office succeeds, too. “As we say in Nigeria, Soja Go, Soja Come, Barrack Remains! No matter who goes and who comes, Julius Berger remains our great company. It is my pleasure therefore to inform you that Alhaji Abdulazeez Kaita shall be taking over my duties as your new Director of Administration in January 2024. I ask that you all very kindly extend to your new Director of Administration, Alhaji Kaita, the same good cooperation with which you and I worked during my time in office. You made me to succeed; I ask that you kindly  make Alhaji Abdulazeez Kaita succeed in his new role and assignment, also.”

At the Lagos event, the Regional Manager, Christl Thomas congratulated all the Awardees especially the two staff who were awarded for 40 years of service to the company. He congratulated the awardees for the milestone achievement in service adding that, “…your hard work and dedication have helped to build this company to this great level.”

Apart from the Regional Management present at the ceremony, Projects Managers and Coordinators as well as Sites Supervisors graced the occasion that, in all the regional hubs of the company and in Abuja, featured dancing and joyous celebrations among the Awardees amidst sumptuous dining and wining.