…MD, Eng. Dr. Lars Richter secure the rehabilitation works will not interrupt the normal flow of work of the government
First engineering construction company, julius berger nigeria plchas assured the Federal Government about the quality of the work to be carried out in the Phase 1 section of the Federal Secretariat, Abuja.
Director General of the company, Eng. Dr. Lars Richter, who was represented at the inauguration of the rehabilitation works in the first phase of the secretariat by the Abuja Regional Operations Manager, Eng. Oliver Berger in a short speech said that the Federal Secretariat was first built by Julius Berger decades ago and has stood the test of time. “You may be interested to know that this building, the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase 1, for which we have been awarded the rehabilitation, is one of the proud legacies of our company,”he said, adding that “Our company’s relationship with the Federal Secretariat Complex goes back more than three decades. Oliver Berger recalled that “On January 22, 1990, Julius Berger received the contract to build the Federal Secretariat, and we are proud to say that the structure of the building remains solid to this day, making it a benchmark for quality construction.”
He also said that the rehabilitation work will return the building to its former splendor. “and infuse it with an impressive touch of modernity.” The main work, continued, “It is the arrangement of wet areas, which includes the disassembly and replacement of all plumbing elements, tiles, partitions, ceilings and all the pipes and cables of the mechanical and electrical systems.” Other aspects of the rehabilitation works to be carried out by Julius Berger include roof repair by replacing old felt that has reached the end of its useful life; installation of a new pumping station with pumps to serve the entire building, lighting rehabilitation works, aluminum ventilation grills, natural stone flooring, glass panels and paint. “The two elevators in the building will be replaced by new ones, while the emergency stairs will be improved for an easier and safer exit. the 10the and 11the whose floors were damaged by fire a while ago will now be renovated”, Oliver Berger said.
Regarding the fears of interruptions in the daily work of the Government in the Federal Secretariat, he said, “…as is our usual tradition in Julius BergerWorking seamlessly on an operational site, we have devised a plan to fix this building without getting in the way of the officials who work there. In addition to doing our work in phases and on weekends, a notable intervention is to provide the client with portable toilets so that they can use them while the wet areas are being fixed”. He assured that the company, together with the users of the building, will ensure that all the works are carried out successfully, while continuing to provide comfort to public servants at work.
FCT Minister Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, who inaugurated the rehabilitation on Tuesday at the compound, hailed the exercise as a milestone in the FCTA’s efforts to rehabilitate public buildings and infrastructure in the Nation’s capital. He said that the secretariat complex, like many other public buildings in the FCT, was built 30 years ago and therefore requires rehabilitation, adding that the exercise came as a result of several conversations with the Head of the Civil Service, Dr. Mrs. Folashade Esan, who was passionate about providing a conducive working environment for civil servants.
Speaking on funding, the Honorable Minister said that the budgetary provisions were a constraint and called for serious efforts to ensure adequate funding. He also frowned at the level of abuse of public buildings in the FCT and called for reforms to the existing contracting system for the maintenance of public facilities.
Meanwhile, the H.The Head of the Federation Civil Service, Dr. Yemi Folashade Esan, praised the FCTA for working to ensure that the environment in which civil servants spend most of their time is conducive, noting that rehabilitation would come with of higher productivity. She added, “I am glad that the FCT with the FCDA, along with Julius Berger it is working to make sure that the environment is very conducive to public servants. I, too, look forward to the end of this rehabilitation.”
Speaking at the event, Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Eng. Shehu Hadi Ahmad explained that the Federal Executive Council, after due process, graciously approved the award of Phase 1 of the contract to Messrs. . julius berger nigeria plc with a lead time of 24 months. He added that the rehabilitation works would be carried out in phases so that government activities are not paralyzed while the works are carried out.
