FIRE GUTS SECTION OF RIVERS STATE SECRETARIAT IN PORT HARCOURT

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

A section of the Rivers State Secretariat Complex in Port Harcourt was on Monday evening gutted by fire, destroying several offices and properties.

The fire, which reportedly started after office hours on the ground floor of the Podium Block, affected part of the nine-storey building.

The incident occurred barely a week after Governor Siminalayi Fubara dissolved the Rivers State Pensions Board, whose office, located nearby, narrowly escaped damage.

Confirming the development, the State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyinge Brown, said the fire resulted from an electrical fault, adding that no life was lost.

“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 Rivers State Fire Service, and they responded promptly,” she said.

According to Brown, firefighters from the Rivers State Fire Service, Federal Fire Service, Renaissance, and the military collaborated to put out the fire.

“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, the situation would have been worse,” she added.

She further urged civil servants to always switch off and unplug electrical appliances before leaving their offices to prevent future occurrences.

Brown assured that the state government would soon commence refurbishment of the affected sections of the secretariat.