…commends Nigerian media for support, positive reportage of company’s activities
Leading engineering construction company, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, has declared the multi-dimensional support given it by Nigerian media as responsible for the overwhelming positive public goodwill the organisation enjoyed in the outgoing year.
The company’s Director of Administration, Alhaji Zubairu Ibrahim Bayi, made the declaration during the company’s end-of-year media parley in Abuja.
“I wish to once again place on record your tremendous assistance in so graciously publishing and giving eloquent voice and distinctive vision to our company’s business and social activities since the year began till now,” Bayi said.
He said the shared interests in each other’s developmental work and pursuit made it possible.
“While some of our satisfied and enthusiastic clients and, understandably, impressed Nigerians could say the landmark quality project delivery record of the company is responsible for the effective media reportage on Julius Berger projects and general operations across its subsidiaries, an outstanding and evident truth, however, is that our company’s contractual dedication, our commanding engineering and project management quality and our unmatched reliability in project delivery time, could not have publicised themselves without the active cooperation of you, our great media partners, correspondents, bureau chiefs, editors and publishers,” he said.
Bayi further said Julius Berger, which he described as “about the most widely and positively reported engineering construction company in Nigeria today”, owes that positive development to the irreducible and highly valued understanding and cooperation of the media practitioners.
He said the company hosting the annual media parley was born out of the company’s sincere desire to get to relate with media partners at a closer range deliberately removed from official communication channels. A strategy like the annual parley, he said, easily activates a warmer comradeship and camaraderie that further consolidates a healthy relationship, thus creating for both the media and Julius Berger an ever progressive mutual understanding that continues to oil the good and worthy bond already established in active and enlightened furtherance of Nigeria’s national development agenda.
“In the context of Julius Berger’s very healthy relationship with the press, a cursory look into the future indicates a lot of unending possibilities and opportunities that ensure to a renewed hope,” he said, even as he expressed the hope to work with the media partners on a stronger scale than ever before “as we together aspire for greater cooperation and a more productive and rewarding future and country”.
Institutional and individual media practitioners at the event were appreciative of the efforts of Julius Berger in relating with the press, pledging to continue to oil the wheel of progressive relationship with the company.
The National Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Shuaibu Usman Leman, who represented the NUJ President and delivered the goodwill message of the NUJ at the event, said the parley was a welcome development.
“It is an integral part of your approach towards meaningfully improving the relationship between Julius Berger and the larger society using the media,” Comrade Leman said, adding that it was “a strategy geared towards building a stronger synergy between the press, Nigerians and the company for the development of Nigeria”.
“We appreciate Julius Berger for the invitation and we urge the company to continue to uphold the high professional standards and premium quality of work you are known for,” he said.
Delivering the goodwill message from the executive management of the Nigerian Television Authority, the Director, News, Hajiya Halima Musa, celebrated Julius Berger as having, by the company’s annual media parley, created a veritable ‘meeting point‘ for busy media practitioners who for the most time do not socialise with each other to engage outside of their hectic and sometimes all-engaging schedules. For this, she thanked the Julius Berger management, urging journalists to give meaningful coverage to Julius Berger’s works and social activities even as she urged for transparency and accountability.
The Executive Director of the Leadership Newspaper, Christian Ochiama, also thanked the company for its proactive media engagement policy and prayed for the continuing success of Julius Berger.
The company also hosted the media at a similar event in Lagos, which was attended by the company’s Head of Media Relations, Prince Moses Duku.
a journalists, Wole Olajide of Stockswatch magazine, summed up the views of the media in Lagos thus: “In fairness to the company, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc has contributed a lot to the quality delivery of notable infrastructures in this country. As critical as the Nigerian Press is, I do not see any dissenting voice coming up against the popular viewpoint that Julius Berger Nigeria is central to Nigeria’s infrastructural development in all ramifications. We very objectively hail Julius Berger that has guaranteed quality and timely delivery of critical infrastructures in the land.
“Also, I must not fail to mention that this innovative annual end-of-year Julius Berger Management/Media Parley event has continued to assist a very transparent, mutually respectful, and helpful relationship between the very independent Nigerian Press and the company. It is worth emulating by other serious corporate brands in the country. But we understand; Julius Berger is the sector,s leading brand.”
Also present from Julius Berger at the Lagos event were Project Coordinator, Lagos-Sagamu Expressway, Engr. Fatima Kosemani, Senior Executive, Strategic Business Development, Mrs. Ndifreke Ukochio, as well as other staff of the engineering construction company including Emmanuel Isibor, Mobolaji Ogunyemi, Kelly Idemudia, Teniola Oladapo and Peace Onuoha.
