President
Yahya Jammeh Monday inaugurated the GNPC building located at the Turntable in
Brusubi.
In
his inaugural speech, President Jammeh said financing of the monumental
building and complex was done solely from national resources.
“Today
we are here inaugurating the tallest and most iconic tower that is proudly
funded and hundred percent owned by The Gambia, thanks to the supportive
efforts of the National Petroleum and Energy.”
According
to President Jammeh, throughout the next decade, the primary goal of his
government is to bring petroleum operations from the doldrums and turn it into
a vibrant socio-economic activity that not only generates revenue, but also
guarantees the availability and affordability of essential petroleum products
and related commodities, in addition to employment creation for the citizens.
President
Jammeh emphasised that The Gambia’s potential in the petroleum sub-sector if
fully realized would usher in an enabling spiral effect that further strengthens
the impressive gains already registered in the areas of health, education,
agriculture and other relevant sectors.
The
inner-linkage between sectors would be fully exploited, as well as strong
synergies built to ensure the uplifting of living standards for the people, he
said.
Also
speaking at the inauguration ceremony was the permanent secretary at the Office
of the President and the Managing Director of GNPC, Babucarr Njie, who said he
had been involved in every step of the design process for the building.
“The
master plan architects and engineers were able to match the President’s keen
sense of perception and come up with an impressive yet functional artwork that
met his approval.”
He
said Guangxi International Construction Engineering Corp (GICEC) Ltd was then
approved as contractor, adding that the contract was awarded for the amount of
D232,686,710.00.
The
contract was awarded on 11 March 2013, and signed on 3 April 2013 with a
contract start date of 1 May 2013.
“Three
years and many tears of perspiration, hard work and sheer determination later,
here we are looking up in amazement and satisfaction at having pulled off H.E’s
vision. Your Excellency Sir, we hope it is to your satisfaction.”
The
building has nine floors, excluding the ground floor and a helipad at the top.
The
first floor consists of a cafeteria, a library and a data room and the 2nd
floor houses small workplace kitchen for heating and storing food, an
auditorium, an exhibition room, a meeting room, restrooms and 6 offices with
ample space for open space offices.
Each
floor from the 3rd to the 7th floor houses six office partitions and six
individual offices, again with a workplace kitchen, restrooms and ample space
for more open space offices.
The
managing director’s office is located on the 6th floor and the 7th and 8th
floor are designed for the exclusive use of the Ministry of Petroleum and
Energy. In total, the building houses four meeting rooms, a conference room and
a boardroom.
He
said the GNPC intends to rent out floors 1 and 2 to the licensed oil companies
currently conducting operations in The Gambia, and occupy for itself 3 floors
with the remaining three reserved for the use of the Ministry.
The
entire building is approximately 6000m 2 and consists of top class site
infrastructure such as roads, pavings, lighting, disposal systems and pleasing
soft landscaping, Njie added.
