A fire outbreak on Monday evening ravaged parts of the Rivers State Secretariat Complex in Port Harcourt, leaving behind a trail of damaged properties.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

According to Nivo News, the inferno reportedly began around 4 p.m. at the ground floor of the Podium Block — one of the tallest buildings within the secretariat — shortly after workers had closed for the day. The blaze, believed to have been triggered by an electrical fault, spread to the office of the newly reconstituted Rivers State Pension Board.

Eyewitnesses revealed that thick smoke billowed from the affected building as firefighters battled tirelessly to contain the flames. Fortunately, no casualties were recorded.

Confirming the incident, the Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Information, Dr. Honour Sirawoo, said prompt intervention by both state and federal fire services prevented the situation from escalating. “It was at the Podium Block of the State Secretariat, on the right side where the fire started from. We are fortunate that the State and Federal Fire Service responded swiftly and worked together to bring the fire under control,” Sirawoo stated.

Similarly, the State Head of Service, Dr. Inyinge Brown, commended the efforts of the emergency responders, noting that the quick response of the recently rehabilitated Rivers State Fire Service played a major role in averting a larger disaster.

“We immediately reached out to the Rivers State Fire Service and other partners such as the Renaissance, Federal Fire Service, and the military, who all responded promptly. It was a combined effort, and the fire has now been fully contained,” she said.

Dr. Brown expressed gratitude to Governor Siminalayi Fubara for his proactive investment in rehabilitating the fire service, emphasizing that without those efforts, the damage could have been far worse. She also appealed to civil servants to prioritize safety by turning off and unplugging electrical appliances after work hours to prevent future incidents.