N’Assembly Committee Orders Urgent Renovation of Rivers Secretariat, Relocation of Staff

House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Rivers State Emergency Rule has ordered the immediate renovation of the dilapidated Rivers State Secretariat complex and the relocation of civil servants working under unsafe conditions.

The directive followed an emergency inspection tour on Friday, led by the Committee Chairman, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, who described the Secretariat’s condition as “more deplorable than facilities in war-torn Gaza.”

According to Ihonvbere, the team observed alarming structural defects, including weak floor tiles, leaking roofs, and exposed electrical wiring. The inspection also revealed a lack of basic amenities such as functional toilets, potable water, and adequate office furniture.

Particularly concerning, the Chairman said, were the 6th and 7th floors of the complex, which have now been declared “unfit for human occupation” due to their life-threatening state.

In a statement issued by Hector Igbikiowubo, media aide to the State Administrator, the committee directed that the compromised floors be closed immediately and staff relocated to safer, alternative office spaces.

The lawmakers further instructed that a comprehensive renovation of the entire Secretariat be undertaken without delay. They also scheduled a contractor review meeting to address the stalled Rivers State House of Assembly complex project, which the committee described as another pressing infrastructural concern.

“The working conditions we have seen today are unacceptable by any standard,” Ihonvbere stated. “No public servant should have to work in such hazardous environments. This is a matter of urgency, not bureaucracy.”

The committee’s intervention comes amid wider concerns about the state of public infrastructure in Rivers State, with stakeholders urging swift government action to protect the health and productivity of its workforce.