Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Tuesday visited the section of the state secretariat complex that was damaged by fire, pledging swift rehabilitation of the affected facility.
The fire, which broke out on Monday evening, partly razed a part of the complex used as a crèche for the children of civil servants.
Governor Fubara arrived at the scene Tuesday morning to assess the extent of the damage personally.
He was received by an enthusiastic crowd of civil servants, alongside the Head of Service and several Permanent Secretaries, including the newly sworn-in Mr. Austin Ezekiel-Hart.
Speaking to journalists after his inspection, the governor expressed relief that no casualties were recorded in the incident.
“I came here this morning to see for myself what happened yesterday. It’s really unfortunate, but we give God all the glory that no life was lost and the damage was only in one section,” he said.
Fubara stated that the incident underscored the urgency of renovating the secretariat complex—an initiative already under consideration by his administration.
“We’ve been talking about the renovation of our foremost secretariat. With this particular incident, there should be no further delay. Whatever is required by this government to commence that process, we will immediately swing into action,” he assured.
The governor also praised the prompt response of the Rivers State Fire Service, crediting recent investments in the agency for the quick containment of the fire.
“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 formidable and functional fire service,” he remarked.
Fubara commended the dedication and resilience of civil servants, assuring them of his administration’s continued efforts to improve their welfare and promote development across the state.
“We’ll continue to do those things that will uplift Rivers people and make them happy,” he added.
