Panic gripped parts of Port Harcourt on Monday evening as fire gutted a section of the Rivers State Secretariat Complex, destroying offices and property worth millions of naira.
The fire, which reportedly began after office hours at the ground floor of the Podium Block, spread to parts of the nine-storey structure before it was brought under control.
The incident occurred barely a week after Governor Siminalayi Fubara dissolved the Rivers State Pensions Board, whose nearby office narrowly escaped the inferno. Ironically, the governor and the immediate past State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), had recently approved a rehabilitation plan for the ageing secretariat complex.
Confirming the development, the Head of Service, Dr. (Mrs.) Inyinge Brown, said preliminary findings linked the fire to an electrical fault. She, however, confirmed that no life was lost in the incident.
“We were informed that there was a fire outbreak at the right wing of the ground floor, Podium Block, and we immediately alerted the Rivers State Fire Service,” Brown said. “They responded swiftly, along with the Federal Fire Service, Renaissance, and the military, who provided their fire trucks. It was a combined effort, and thankfully, the fire has been contained.”
She praised Governor Fubara for his earlier investment in the revitalisation of the state’s fire service, noting that the prompt response helped prevent a major disaster.
“If not for the governor’s proactive rehabilitation of the fire service, the damage could have been far worse,” she said.
Brown also advised civil servants to observe safety precautions, including switching off and unplugging all electrical appliances before leaving their offices.
“These are heritage buildings,” she cautioned. “We must protect them by ensuring all sockets and lights are turned off daily.”
The Head of Service assured that the state government will commence immediate refurbishment of the affected sections of the complex to restore operations as soon as possible.
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