Julius Berger Nigeria PLC last weekend hosted senior journalists in the country to its traditional year-end executive management – media parley.
Representative of the Managing Director and Leader of the Julius Berger delegation to the Media Parley in Abuja, the Executive Director Administration, Alhaji Zubairu Bayi, in his remarks told the audience that “Julius Berger will always be appreciative of the contributions of our media partners to our success at all material times.“
The Director noted the reasonable and kind efforts generally made by respective media practitioners to contact the company’s Media Relations Office at various times on matters relating to the operations and reputation of the company.
Alhaji Bayi said it is to be noted that due to the environmentally impactful nature of construction work generally, which is the company’s core business, it is to be reasonably expected, also, that the ever watchful and robustly independent Nigerian Press which is always seized with protecting citizen interests, would be interested in the company’s operations, especially as it impacts citizens convenience and ease of life.
Bayi, however proudly alluded to the existing Julius Berger legacy on Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) record.
Bayi informed the audience that Julius Berger this December just rewarded 647 of its staff for successful job performance at the company‘s long service award ceremony.
“With the above number of workers rewarded for their service to the company, and considering the huge number of productive man hours they and all our other teeming workers have put into their jobs across the country, may I now happily inform you that, with regard to the Company’s Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) issues, Julius Berger has a proud and in fact unmatched industry record of Lost Time-Frequency Rate of 0.19, which is less than one Lost Time Injury for every five million man-hours worked.”
These policies, Bayi informed, “are now imbibed and observed in the way we conduct ourselves in and out of workplace.”
Tracing the rich history of the company right from its inception in Nigeria in 1965, Alhaji Bayi said each year, Julius Berger strives to outdo the previous year’s performance for the progressive benefit of shareholders, employees and country.
According to Bayi, “…the professional media publishers, bureau chiefs, editors and correspondents, as critical and progressive development partners, opinion moulders and intelligent guardians of society’s best interest, have always rationally and objectively helped to inform the public that the temporary inconvenience that our work may cause is essentially planned, implemented and intended only to put in place enduring infrastructures for the ultimately beneficial use and lasting enjoyment of the public at large.”
For the foregoing role of the media, Bayi, on behalf of the Board, Management and entire staff of Julius Berger thanked the members of the press for their great role in sustaining the necessary peace and social harmony that has led to the successful operations of the company in Nigeria, year in, year out.
“We significantly owe our continuing success to your rational understanding and cooperation by which you objectively continue to helpfully inform the public that Julius Berger is Nigeria’s loyal development partner and will always do its work with that irreducible commitment; and…together with the robust and respectable 4th Estate of the Realm, we remain developmental partners in Progress.”
Bayi stated that whenever misunderstanding had arisen, the media generally has consistently, rationally stood up to brilliantly enlighten and properly inform all stakeholders and the general public on the facts and true nature of every situation and circumstance. “Julius Berger does not take your good work for granted. We appreciate it,” Bayi said.
He therefore urged the media practitioners to continue to identify with the company’s efforts and never hesitate to “contact us if the need arises to clear any grey areas arising from any of your reports on Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.”
The National President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Mr. Chris Isiguzo, MFR, who also attended the Media Parley in Abuja, was full of commendation for Julius Berger’s recognition of the serious role of the Press in nation-building and corporate success. Mr. Isiguzo who thanked the company for its policy of hosting the members of the press at the end of the business year, also enjoined other corporations in the country to take a cue from Julius Berger in their attempts to foster better corporate-media relations for their businesses in the best interest of their organizational bottom-line, employees and stakeholders.
The executive director News of the Nigerian Television Authority, Mr M.A. Labbo also spoke in similar vein at the event. Labbo who said he grew up in the country seeing Julius Berger’s good work all across the nation said, “… I guess, in terms of quality infrastructural development and signature, I can factually say Julius Berger is Nigeria, and Nigeria is Julius Berger,” explaining that Julius Berger has historically till date been a worthy corporate citizen of Nigeria.
The President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Mallam Mukhtar Sirajo, in his goodwill message also commended Julius Berger for the official practice of the end of year media parley, which he described as a high quality public relations initiative from which other corporations should positively learn. He added,“… coming from Julius Berger and its widely acknowledged traditional adherence to high professional standards, it is not a surprise. Keep it up.”
As the event in Abuja came to a close, Alhaji Bayi wished the media practitioners compliments of the season and prayed for journey mercies for the guests and their families during the yuletide season. He also wished them a happy new year in advance.
At the media parley event in Lagos, the Head of the company’s Media Relations Office, Prince Moses Duku delivered the address of the executive director, Administration, to the media executives present.
Publisher of MediaGate, Henry Ebireri and the CEO of The Point newspapers as well as several other media chiefs present in their remarks gave kudos to the company for identifying with journalists in the country. “You are indeed a role model in modern day PR professional practice,” said the publisher of MediaGate Group.
The print, electronic, as well as the digital online media communities all attended the 2022 Julius Berger Executive Management – Media Parley.