It was a celebration of excellence, professionalism, nationalism and good success in Port Harcourt last Saturday as Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Rivers State conferred the State’s most dignified civil awards on some deserving citizens and significant corporate players with manifest developmental business operations in the State.
Among the iconic dignitaries so recognised and given the important awards by the Rivers State Government was the Managing Director of Julius Berger, Dr. Lars Richter, the company’s South-south and South-east Regional Manager, Juergen Fischer and the company’s Special Projects Manager in Port Harcourt, Rimon Marisho. The Managing Director and the two other senior officials of the company were awarded the Rivers State Medal of the Order of GSSRS (Grand Service Star of Rivers State). It is the highest civil award made by the Rivers State Governor to any individual.
Wike said the Government awarded the GSSRS Medal of honour to the Julius Berger Managing Director, Lars Richter and his Regional Manager and Special Projects Manager, Engr. Juergen Fischer and Rimon Marisho, respectively, for the unmatched productive capacity and technical competence exhibited by Julius Berger as the company successfully partnered with his administration to deliver the promised and planned infrastructural renewal and development of Rivers State, and Port Harcourt in particular. The operations of the company as it delivered its contracted works for roads, bridges and flyovers in Rivers State, also generated a multiplier effect on employment opportunities for the people of the State, and that, in turn, had a positive empirical effect on crime reduction in the state, said Governor Wike.
Wike therefore on behalf of the Government and people of Rivers State cited, commended and thanked the Julius Berger Managing Director and his workaholic operational team as a worthy, successful partner in progress for the steady and irreversible infrastructural development and socio-economic advancement of Rivers State.
Other recipients of awards at the ceremony in Port Harcourt includeed the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Shehu Malami who was also vested with GSSRS; His Excellency Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State (GSSRS); His Excellency former Governor Olabode George who was vested with the Medal of Distinguished Service Star of Rivers State (DSSRS); and His Excellency former Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State (DSSRS).
The Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Shehu Malami gave the vote of thanks on behalf of the award recipients as the ceremony came an end.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations in Lagos has awarded Julius Berger Nigeria Plc its ‘Lifetime Reputation Award’
Speaking at the event considered as Nigeria’s Communication Industry Oscars in Lagos last weekend, the President and Chairman of Council of the NIPR, Mallam Mukhtar Sirajo, fnipr, said that “the Award signifies the very consistently positive image and inspiring reputation of the company, for a very long time.” According to the President of NIPR, Malam Muhktar Sirajo, to underscore the Award given to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc is the fact that the company was the sole awardee who got the voting public united in one voice, adding, “this underscores the very positive image and reputation of the company in a very long time.”
He further said that the Award is deserving recognition to Julius Berger’s revered consciousness of its reputation and its media communications excellence in its numerous endeavours. Urging the company to continue the existing good work of positively managing its reputation, the NIPR president congratulated Julius Berger specifically for the feat of being the sole nominee for the Award category and winning the grand prize.
The Chairman Lagos NIPR, Mrs Comfort Obot Nwankwo had similar words of praise for Julius Berger. She said that, “to underscore the importance of what Julius Berger has achieved is to be mindful of the fact that Lagos NIPR keeps raising the bar of the awards….So, for the NIPR Lagos to declare an individual or organisation as deserving of an Award which we usually determine via online voting, it must be seen and taken to be the reality on ground. Congratulations to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.”
Very important dignitaries at the Lagos NIPR Award ceremony included Lagos State Governor, His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu, immediate past president of NIPR, Dr Rotimi Oladele, Vice President of the NIPR, ACG Wale Adeniyi, current Chairman of Lagos NIPR, Mrs Comfort Obot Nwankwo, the Lagos State police commissioner, amongst several others.