Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has described the fire incident that gutted a section of the State Secretariat Complex in Port Harcourt on Monday evening as unfortunate but said it would accelerate his administration’s plans to rehabilitate the entire complex.
Governor Fubara stated this, when he visited the scene to assess the level of damage caused by the fire, which affected a creche facility used by civil servants.
The governor, who was received by jubilant workers, the Head of Service, and some Permanent Secretaries, including the newly sworn-in Mr. Austin Ezekiel-Hart, expressed gratitude that no life was lost and that the fire was quickly contained.
“It’s really unfortunate, but we give God all the glory that no life was lost and the damage was limited to one section,” Fubara said.
He explained that the incident underscored the urgency of government’s plan to renovate and modernize the aging secretariat complex.
“We’ve been talking about the renovation of our foremost secretariat. With this particular incident, there should be no further delay. Whatever is required to commence that process, we will immediately swing into action,” the governor assured.
Governor Fubara commended the Rivers State Fire Service for their prompt response, noting that earlier investments in the service had paid off in preventing a larger disaster.
“Before the emergency rule, we took our time to invest in the fire service. I wonder what would have happened if we didn’t have a functional system,” he added.
He thanked the state’s civil servants for their continued support and pledged his administration’s commitment to improving their welfare and working conditions.
“We’ll continue to do those things that will uplift Rivers people and make them happy,” Fubara said.
