FIRE!!! BOOKSHOP HOUSE SHUT DOWN

FIRE!!!

BOOKSHOP HOUSE SHUT DOWN

BY ABDULMUMINI ADEKU

Sequel to a World Exclusive news report by The News Office Desk of Paedia Express Multimedia in Lagos,Nigeria,we can confirm again that one the oldest and most enduring commercial  buildings in the heart of the Nigerian business district of Marina in Lagos,Nigeria,the Bookshop House Limited was shut down as at press time due to a fire outbreak just recently.

This reporter was sent back as at press time, while trying to approach one of the buildings elevators  to see a friend on the ninth floor and was told that a fire outbreak due to an electrical fault the previous week end has now led to a total shut down of services or operations of all enterprises in the building.

In a message pasted by the Board and management of the body warehousing the skyscraper ,the Managing Director,Mr Dotun Adegboyega said that they had to shut down for a whole month due to the professional advise they got from the building’s structural consultant .

The note stated:”Yesterday,20^th ,we invited our structural engineers-Ove Arup,a firm of electrical engineers and a clearing firm ,Ola Clean,From our consultations with this firm it is evident that there is a lot to be done to get the building back to business “
“The building has to be evacuated and cleaned ,the burnt basement has to be reinforced ,the willing and cabling are to be commissioned and replaced while the main panel for supply of electricity will have to be rebuilt and then a new transformer fixed”

“The repairs based on expert findings will take four weeks “ he added.

CSS Specializes in the publishing and supply of Christian Books and Literature, Educational, Motivational and General Books, Stationery and Office Equipment. The division currently has branches in Apapa, Abuja, Port-Harcourt and Kaduna. It has sister Companies:  Bookshop House Limited and CSS Sterling Printers Limited.

Over the years, the company pioneered and actually helped to shapen the book trade, stationery supply, office equipment distribution, Christian book/literature importation, production , supply and printing/publishing in Nigeria.

The Board of the company chaired by Ven. Segun Agbetuyi is made up of carefully-selected people of high integrity and of good standing in the society, who have proved themselves as achievers in their various endeavors

 The Management Team headed by Mr. Dotun Adegboyega as Managing Director is made up of highly -experienced, multitalented and trail-blazing young men.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The CSS Bookshops Limited of today was established by the Church Missionary Society Trust in 1869 as C.M.S Bookshops, Lagos.

The Company was established then to source and distribute devotional service/religious books, stationery products and educational books.

In 1913, the CMS Press, a division of C.M.S. Bookshops, Lagos, was established, thereby, becoming one of the oldest printing and publishing companies in Nigeria.

In subsequent years, C.M.S (Niger) Bookshops was established in Onitsha and Port-Harcourt as autonomous units. In 1950, the C.M.S Bookshops, Lagos and C.M.S (Niger) Bookshops, with the printing press in Port-Harcourt were merged and registered as C.M.S (Nigeria) Bookshops.

On the 27th July, 1961, C.M.S (Nigeria) Bookshops was formally handed over to the Local Association with Late Chief S. O. Adebo as its first Nigerian Chairman.

The name of the company was changed in 1969, the centenary year, to CSS BOOKSHOPS (Church and School Supplies Bookshops).

The Company, which had over the years been incorporated as a company limited by guarantee, was later re-incorporated as CSS BOOKSHOPS LIMITED in 1992 as a company limited by shares.

In 1993, the Company’s name was changed to CSS Limited, thereafter the Company reverted to its former name of CSS BOOKSHOPS LIMITED in 2003 with the following divisions:

•             CSS Bookshops (Book Supply, Library Books Supply, Laboratory equipment Supply)

•             CSS Properties

•             CSS Press (now a separate entity known as CSS Sterling Printers Ltd in joint ventures with Sterling Publishers PVT)