A part of the Rivers state government secretariat in Port Harcourt has been tragically gutted by flames.
While the cause of the fire has not been officially disclosed, information gathered revealed that the affected parts includes the podium block, houses Pension state board.
The permanent secretary of the ministry of information Honour Sirawoo, confirmed the unfortunate incident.
Sirawoo stated that firefighters from both the state and Federal Fire Services (FFS) were at the scene, doing everything they could to put out the flames.
Meanwhile, the head of Rivers state civil service, Inyingi Brown said no casualty was recorded in the incident, adding that preliminary reports suggest the fire may have been as a result of electrical faults.
This comes after Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers, recently dismissed the Pensions Board inaugurated by the ex Rivers state sole administrator Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, on September 12.
“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,” she said.
“We also called other partners of the state, such as Renaissance, Federal Fire Service, and the military, who all promptly sent their fire trucks. It was a combined effort, and as we speak, you can see that the fire has been contained,” she stated.
“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.”
