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 Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, has issued a stern warning against any attempt to establish a Sharia Court in the state without legal authorization.
This comes in response to the circulation of a digital notice announcing the launch of such a court.
In a statement personally signed on Tuesday, Governor Abiodun emphasized that Sharia Courts cannot be legally established by individuals or groups outside the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.
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He reaffirmed that the state government only recognizes courts constituted through the legal framework of the Constitution and state laws.
“No Sharia Court is authorized to operate within Ogun State,” Abiodun stated. “The courts legally empowered to adjudicate disputes in the state are Magistrates’ Courts, High Court, Customary Courts, Customary Court of Appeal, Federal High Court, National Industrial Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court.”
He further clarified that Sharia law does not form part of the legal framework in Ogun State and warned against the operation of unauthorized courts or assemblies.
According to the Governor, the state government respects the rights of individuals to practice their religion and apply their faith in personal matters.
However, this freedom does not extend to the creation of institutions or courts without proper legal backing.
Governor Abiodun directed all individuals involved in the creation or operation of the illegal Sharia Court to immediately cease all activities and disband the entity.
He also urged the public to disregard any summons, documents, or communications from the unauthorized court and to report such incidents to the authorities.
“The Ogun State Government will uphold the rule of law, ensure respect for the legal and judicial framework within the state, and prevent any breakdown of law and order,” the statement concluded.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has returned to Abuja after attending the Africa Heads of State Energy Summit held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The presidential aircraft, 001, landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at 7:40 pm on Tuesday, according to the State House media office.
The President was received by top government officials, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
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The summit, organized by the Tanzanian government in partnership with the African Development Bank Group and the World Bank, centered on advancing “Mission 300,” an initiative designed to provide electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030.
During the event, African leaders, private sector representatives, development partners, and civil society organizations discussed strategies to overcome the continent’s energy challenges.
Discussions focused on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and accelerating energy access in underserved regions, with an emphasis on mobilizing private sector investment.
On the opening day, ministers from participating nations presented their national energy strategies, known as compacts, which outlined their plans to achieve universal energy access within five years.
The summit culminated in the endorsement of the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration by Heads of State, including President Tinubu, which charts a unified path for achieving the goals of Mission 300.
In his address, Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa’s energy sector and emphasized the country’s commitment to universal energy access.
He highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing clean energy initiatives and detailed its strategy for integrated energy delivery across the continent.
“Nigeria remains committed to achieving universal access to energy and will continue to champion solutions that integrate renewable energy and enhance efficiency across Africa,” Tinubu said.
The President was accompanied by key members of his administration, including the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu; and Special Adviser on Energy, Olu Verheijen.
An Air Busan passenger plane caught fire at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea on Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of 176 people on board, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The incident occurred at around 10:30 p.m. local time (1330 GMT) as the aircraft, which was bound for Hong Kong, ignited near its tail section.
A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants were evacuated using inflatable slides, Yonhap reported.
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One person sustained injuries during the evacuation, but no further details about the injury or the fire’s cause were immediately available.
South Korea’s Busan fire authorities were not reachable for comment, according to AFP.
This incident comes just weeks after South Korea’s worst aviation disaster in decades.
Recall that on December 29, a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crash-landed and exploded after striking a concrete barrier at Muan International Airport.
The crash killed 179 of the 181 passengers and crew on board.
According to Flightradar24, Air Busan’s fleet is composed entirely of Airbus aircraft.
The cause of Tuesday’s fire is under investigation.
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