The Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, Engr. Dr. Lars Richter, a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, NIQS, has described staff of the construction giant as the strength of the company. He made the declaration weekend in Abuja at the 2019 Long Service Awards ceremony for 1,015 deserving workers even as the company’s Executive Director, Administration, Alhaji Zubairu Ibrahim Bayi said that rewarding workers is true reflection and celebration of their diverse and masterly contributions to the company’s excellent brand.
According to the Managing Director, the award ceremony is an annual event to recognise Julius Berger‘s long-serving staff to show appreciation for staff’s contribution towards the continued success of the company. “Each year, it remains a great inspiration how many staff we are proudly able to recognise…” Dr. Richter said. Stressing that the 1,015 staff honoured at the event are “truly notable”, Engr. Richter emphasized that, “they highlight the strength of our corporate culture. They reflect the commitment of our staff and also the reciprocal commitment of the company towards the staff.”
The Managing Director recalled that, “starting from the company’s first project in Nigeria, the men and women of Julius Berger’s workforce have been the fuel to our success. And on the eve of our 50th anniversary of incorporation in Nigeria, which we will celebrate next year, we can proudly state that the people that form our organisation remain the foundation from which our achievements are realised,” adding that it explains why the company has remained highly dedicated to their long-term development which informed the weekend’s celebration.
Engr. Richter continued: “…there is no doubt this reciprocal commitment between the company and our staff will remain a cornerstone to our culture for all the years to come. With this view and the stability it provides, year on year, we are able to continually improve our company to ensure we maintain our edge and achieve our greater goals.”
The Managing Director further said that in the outgoing year, Julius Berger put into place structures and optimisations to keep the company competitive and further support optimal performance in the company’s operations for the years to come.
Reeling out specifics, he said Julius Berger has invested into new equipment, kicked off the renewal of the company’s Human Resources structure to support identification of skilled labour, their respective training and appraisal, remained focused on growing “our portfolio.”
“We remained focused on growing our portfolio and we are successful in acquiring new projects including most recently, the Uyo International Worship Centre, the Rumuokoro, Garrison and Artillery Flyovers in Port Harcourt and the FAMFA Tower High-end Interior works, making sure we continue to have a robust project backlog that support our financial performance”, Engr. Richter said, adding that in the outgoing year, the company continued to perform well on site, especially on priority projects such as the Abuja-Kano Road and the Second River Niger Bridge among others.
Saying that the future for Julius Berger is bright, the Managing Director added that, “this does not mean we will not to weather fierce storms”, but urged the staff not to rest on their oars as their collective steadfast dedication will provide the company the needed stability to succeed.
Engr. Dr. Lars Richter gave special recognition to the company’s Executive Director Administration, Alhaji Zubairu Ibrahim Bayi who was recipient of the Long Service Award for 35 years of meritorious service and Mr. Olu Mustapha who has been with the company for 45 years.
In his speech, Alhaji Bayi said Julius Berger’s Long Service Awards ceremony has become a tradition. “The ceremony which has become a tradition of this great company is indeed a true reflection and celebration of the diverse nature of not only our staff but also the various professions which they practice and have excellently mastered over the years”. Saying that Julius Berger’s management continues to implement its mandate for the success of the company, Bayi, a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Building, added: “as a responsible corporate entity, we continue to remain proactive and envisage every possible scenario. The Board of Directors and Executive Management of this great company is steering the ship through thick and thin. The company fought its way back from very hard to times to the much more improved situation that we are in now.”
The Executive Director recalled his information to staff last year that the Managing Director who was then new was a go-getter and added that his truthful word on the professionally productive quality of the MD has since come to fruition, as Julius Berger “is now seriously focused on consolidation, expansion and continuous growth. There is now a real promise of greater fortunes for our company under his (Richter’s) watch.”
Alhaji Bayi assured the MD and Executive Management of the company that “the entire management and staff are solidly behind you and will give you all the support necessary to handle the enormous task of taking this company to higher levels,” even as he recalled showers of encomiums on the company at recent awards received from different external bodies including the prestigious Top 50 Brands in Nigeria where Julius Berger won the construction sector leadership award for the fourth consecutive year.
The weekend event which held simultaneously across the company’s sites in the country, had staff who have served the company for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 years going home with deserving awards. In the Abuja event, it was celebrated amidst solidarity songs by the staff union.