NEWS
Trouble days ahead for Shylock Landlords as Senate moves to regulate rents
John Akubo
Hard times await Shylock Landlords in Abuja as Senate tidy up legislation to regulate rents from one or two years first payment by tenants, to three months and subsequent monthly payments .
The planned legislation is contained in a bill sponsored by Senator Smart Adeyemi ( APC Kogi West) titled Advanced Rent (Residential Apartments, Office Spaces) Regulation Bill, 2022
The bill passed first reading in the Senate during plenary on Tuesday.
Explaining the intendment of the bill to journalists after plenary , Senator Adeyemi said it is targeted at cushioning effect of outrageous rents on properties on poor residents in the Federal Capital Territory .
According to him, the bill when passed into law, will regulate rent collections from tenants to three months at first instance and subsequent monthly payments as against one, two or three years first payment being collected by property owners now with subsequent yearly rent payment renewal.
“Many residents of FCT are finding it very difficult to cope with huge rent payment , the reason why many of the Houses built for such purposes are empty.
“The law is targeted at welfare and wellbeing of the downtrodden , majority of whom elected those holding public positions into offices.
“Some landlords always insist their tenants pay for one year or two years rent. That is wrong. By this bill, Nigerians especially Abuja residents will now be paying rent on monthly basis after the expiration of the initial three months.
“The law we are proposing stipulates a maximum advanced rent payment of three months. After the expiration of the three months rent, the tenants are expected to pay monthly.
“There are many tenants whose salaries are competing with their rents because they live in cities like Abuja”, he explained.
When reminded of the scenario that played out in Lagos when Governor Marwa implemented similar law but with stiff resistance from landlords , Senator Adeyemi said the law being proposed will take of such resistance by providing window of petitioning for any tenants forced to pay rents above three months .
“Most Nigerians need the protection of the law to be able to meet their basic needs after paying rents.
“Many landlords did not secure loans to build their houses, they are products of free money they acquire from the system, yet they make lives difficult for poor Nigerians who do not have such privilege of making ill-gotten money from the system and put up structures”, he added.
Adeyemi, said it was important to begin to ensure that Legislations should not just be to impose penalty to the people.
He said there was an urgent need to enact laws that could directly affect the lives of the individuals in such a manner that Nigerians would be able to have three square meals and have a roof over their head
Adeyemi said:
Some of the problems confronting our nation today is the high level of corruption and if you take a look at Abuja in particular, you see so many uncompleted houses, some of them you don’t even know the owners.
“Those, who own theses properties, they did not secure loans for them,there are free money that people have gotten, illegal monies, and put up structures.
“And this structure are put out in such a manner that an average Nigerians can not afford it.
“Why do you think that some junior people go into corrupt practices, a good number of them is the struggle and effort to get their rent paid.
“Ask those who are paying rent in Abuja, the landlord will ask them to pay two years rent.
“So I came to the conclusion that we must put the law in place that when you are going to take an apartment ,the maximum of what a landlord should ask you to pay must be three months, after three months, you can then begin to pay monthly.
“You do not allow the society to live in a manner that people can be reckless in the so called what they have, whatever,they have in the way of assets, you must have the consideration that you have a duty to protect others, not to use your wealth to oppress people and make some people to commit suicide.
“There are families that have broken up because the man of the house could not pay the rent, and some have been pushed out because the landlord asked them to pay for two years.
“If people will have to manage with their spouse to pay, we should be able to put the law in place in such that no body will be oppressed,”Adeyemi explained.
According to him the bill was designed to compel the land lords in the FCT not to charge more than three months rent for those who are seeking new apartment and monthly subsequent payment.
He said the bill also seeks to ensure that tenants are not ejected untill after six months if they were not able to pay.
He said it was important to put laws in place to protect the majority of Nigerians, who are poor, saying that there are many bills coming up that would protect the people.
“I own my God and the people to purse laws to protect the people”, Adeyemi said.
He said he was also going to engage the Civil Society Groups (CSOs)and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to canvases more support for the bill
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has explained that talks were still ongoing on the sale of refined products to the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).
This was detailed in a statement on Thursday evening by Dangote’s Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina.
Under the subject, ‘IPMAN: Setting the Record Straight’, the statement made to clarify stories being bandied in the media space on the difficulties being experienced by IPMAN member on purchasing products from Dangote.
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Chiejina wrote, “The Dangote Petroleum Refinery wishes to clarify that it has not received any payments from the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to purchase refined petroleum products.
“Although discussions are ongoing with IPMAN, it is misleading to suggest that they (IPMAN Members) are experiencing difficulties loading refined products from our Petroleum Refinery, as we currently have no direct business dealings with them. “Consequently, we cannot be held responsible for any payments made to other entities.
“The payment in mention has been made through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and not us. In the same vein, NNPCL has neither approved, nor authorised us to release our Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to IPMAN.
“We would like to emphasise that we can meet the nation’s demand for all petroleum products, including petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel. At present, we can load 2,900 trucks per day and we have also been evacuating petroleum products by sea. We advise IPMAN to register with us and make direct payment as we have more than enough petroleum products to satisfy the needs of their members.
“Furthermore, we believe it is instructive for all stakeholders to refrain from making unfounded statements in the media, as that could undermine the economic re-engineering efforts of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Conducting business through public speculation is counterproductive and unpatriotic.
“In the interest of our country, we encourage all stakeholders to collaborate and heed the advice of President Tinubu, while promoting a unified approach, rather than engaging in media conflicts and needless propaganda.”
The Rivers State government has denied a story about her reaction to an obnoxious court ruling baring the Federal Government from releasing her monthly allocations by shutting Nigeria’s Oil production facilities within her territory.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday in Port Harcourt under the signature of Hon. Commissioner for Information and Communications, Rivers State, Warisenibo Joe Johnson.
Recall that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stop disbursing Federal Allocations to Rivers State until the issue of proper passage of the 2024 budget is resolved.
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However, Johnson vehemently denied what he described as “spurious news item circulating on social media”.
Under the subject ‘Re: Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara Shuts Down NNPCL’, he maintained that “The report was not only false, but a concocted propaganda from the imagination of the author and enemies of the State.”
The statement reads, “The attention of Rivers State Government has been drawn to a spurious news item circulating on social media on “Gov. Siminalayi Fubara shutting down NNPCL and all oil companies in Rivers State”.
“The report was not only false, but a concocted propaganda from the imagination of the author and enemies of the State. The story was also circulated by an inconsequential and unverified medium.
“Governor Siminalayi Fubara is committed to the rule of law and does not rely on unconventional and crude approaches to respond to matters of governance.
“We therefore enjoin Rivers people and well-meaning Nigerians to discountenance the spurious and fake report as Governor Fubara at no time contemplated and/or directed such needless order of shutting down the economy for any reason.”
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke chaired the Treasury Board meeting for the 2025 budget, on Thursday and issued a strong admonition to Ministries and Agencies to sustain budget performance on all fronts.
Members of the Treasury Board include the Deputy Governor, Prince Kola Adewusi; Secretary to the State Government, Hon Teslim Igbalaye; the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon Kazeem Akinleye; Head of Service, Elder Ayanleye Aina; Attoney General/HCJustice and HC Finance; the Accountant General; Chairman of State Internal Revenue Service among others.
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The Governor scrutinised proposals of various Agencies submitted through the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
The State Governor noted that presentations by the agencies are encouraging but called for a more innovative approach to Revenue and Expenditure process and practice in line with the fiscal procedures and extent laws.
According to the State Governor, the real value of federation allocations to the state has dwindled despite the slight increase in the nominal value but to have a sustainable budget performance for the good of the citizens, political heads and accounting officers should think out of the box by emphasizing high priority projects and programmes.
“I task heads of ministries and agencies to focus on high priority projects. The resources are limited, and our needs are much. So we have to balance both ends by avoiding frivolous programmes and emphasizing areas promoting the five point agenda of this administration.
“You are to conduct full due diligence on your various sectors and programmes. Revenue generation must be driven with vigour but with a human face. Value for money is also key in state expenditure”, the State Governor charged the various ministries and agencies led by the Commissioners and Special Advisers.
Earlier in his presentation, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Prof. Moruf Ademola Adeleke assured that the report of the Treasury Board will be submitted to the State Executive Council for approval as a draft budget for presentation to the State Assembly.
He informed the Governor and other state officials that the budgetary process is on schedule to meet the timeline for final processing and approval by both the State Executive Council and the House of Assembly.
Sectors already covered by the Treasury Board meetings include Education, Solid minerals and infrastructure sectors. The board sitting continues today with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs Yetunde Esan, coordinating the process
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