A section of the Rivers State Secretariat Complex in Port Harcourt was gutted by fire on Monday evening, destroying some offices and property.
The fire, which reportedly started at the ground floor of the Podium Block after office hours, affected part of the nine-storey building.
This comes about a week after Governor Siminalayi Fubara dissolved the Rivers State Pensions Board, whose office, located nearby, escaped the fire.
Fubara and the immediate past Administrator of the State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), had earlier approved the rehabilitation of the secretariat.
Confirming the incident, the State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyinge Brown, said the fire was caused by an electrical fault, adding that there was no casualty.
She said firefighters from the Rivers State Fire Service, the Federal Fire Service, Renaissance, and the military responded swiftly to contain the blaze.
She stated, “We were informed that there was a fire incident at the right wing, ground floor of Podium Block, and we immediately made calls to the River State Fire Service, and they responded promptly.
We also called other partners of the state, such as the Renaissance, Federal Fire Service and the military, who promptly sent their fire trucks. It’s a combined effort, and as we speak, you can see that the fire has been contained.
“We thank God, and we thank His Excellency Sir Siminalayi Fubara for being proactive in rehabilitating the fire service before this time. If not for his investment in the Fire Service, this situation would have been worse.”
She also urged civil servants to always switch off electrical appliances and unplug sockets before leaving the office to prevent similar incidents.
“We urge all civil servants to take responsibility for their safety. Turn off our sockets and our lights. Not just putting off the sockets, but unplugging to ensure there is no residual charge because these buildings are heritage buildings and we don’t want anything to happen to them, ” she said.
Brown assured that the government would begin the refurbishment of the affected sections soon.
Source PUNCH
