Fire on Monday evening gutted part of the Podium Block at the Rivers State Secretariat Complex in Port Harcourt, destroying property, including the offices of the Rivers State Pension Board.
The Head of Service, Iyingi Brown, told The Telegraph in a voice note that the blaze was caused by an electrical fault. Firefighters from the State Fire Service, Federal Fire Service, and the military worked together to extinguish the fire.
The incident comes days after Governor Siminalayi Fubara dissolved the Rivers State Pension Board without providing reasons, and shortly after he warned permanent secretaries over poor performance during the state’s emergency rule.
While no official link has been confirmed between the fire and the board’s dissolution, the timing has sparked public speculation about whether the fire was accidental or an attempt to destroy important documents.
The police and state government have pledged a thorough investigation to determine the fire’s exact cause.
