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 United States has delivered a fresh consignment of military equipment to the Nigerian Air Force as Washington and Abuja continue to deepen their security partnership in the fight against terrorism and other threats in the region.
The equipment was transported by a United States Air Force C-17 Globemaster III and delivered at locations in Lagos and Kainji, according to the United States Africa Command, AFRICOM.
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AFRICOM announced the delivery on Thursday, describing it as another demonstration of the growing defence cooperation between the United States and Nigeria.
“Partnership in action,” the command said, explaining that the equipment was supplied under a Foreign Military Sales agreement between both countries.
AFRICOM said the delivery would support Nigeria’s efforts to counter terrorism in the region and further strengthen the defence partnership between Washington and Abuja.
Images released through the US Department of Defense’s visual information platform, DVIDS, showed the C-17 aircraft and personnel involved in the offloading of the equipment in Lagos and Kainji.
However, AFRICOM has not disclosed the specific type, quantity or financial value of the military equipment delivered.
The command also emphasised that the support was provided at Nigeria’s invitation and was intended to strengthen Nigerian-led counterterrorism operations while respecting the country’s sovereignty.
US-Nigeria Security Cooperation
The latest delivery comes less than a month after senior Nigerian and US officials met in Washington to review the countries’ security partnership.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu led a Nigerian delegation to the second session of the Nigeria-US Joint Working Group on August 13.
The meeting focused on several security issues, including counterterrorism, intelligence sharing, terrorism financing, border security, protection of vulnerable communities, internally displaced persons and military-to-military cooperation.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the discussions were also aimed at reviewing the countries’ defence roadmap and determining the next phase of their security collaboration.
The latest military equipment delivery adds another layer to the expanding cooperation, particularly as Nigeria continues to battle terrorism and insurgency in parts of the country.
Expanding Counterterrorism Cooperation
US-Nigeria military cooperation has also expanded through joint counterterrorism efforts.
In May, AFRICOM, working with the Nigerian government, conducted an operation against ISIS targets in northeastern Nigeria. The operation killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom AFRICOM described as the group’s director of global operations, alongside other senior ISIS figures.
The US command subsequently carried out additional strikes against ISIS targets in northeastern Nigeria in coordination with Abuja.
The jostle for the position of the next Director-General (DG) of the institution that impacts Nigeria’s public health by regulating the making, importing, exporting, selling, and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals, detergents, and packaged water is heating up.
Biztellers reports that with the second and final tenure of the incumbent DG, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof Mojisola Adeyeye expected to statutorily end on December 1, 2027, several people have started canvassing openly to replace her.
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Prominent among the contenders is a serving director of the Agency, Olatunde Isaac.
Isaac took to his verified handle on X to pitch his credentials to Nigeria’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He wrote, “I have served at NAFDAC for nearly a decade and dedicated years of my career to the fight against counterfeit and substandard medicines and unsafe food products.
“My work in this area earned me the NAFDAC Director-General’s Merit Award in recognition of my contribution to the fight against fake food and drugs.
“Mr. President, I am not asking for a favour. I am offering competence, experience and a proven commitment to the national interest.
“Make me the Director-General of NAFDAC, give me the mandate and the institutional backing, and I will take the fight against counterfeit medicines and unsafe foods to an entirely different level.
“Within the first six months, I will target a minimum 60% reduction in the circulation of counterfeit and substandard medicines and unsafe regulated products, with the ultimate objective of driving the menace to the barest minimum within one year.
“Nigeria does not lack capable professionals. Sometimes, what is needed is simply the courage to put the right person in the right place.
“Give me the mandate. Give me the tools. I will deliver.
“Nigeria deserves a stronger, more effective war against fake drugs and unsafe foods.”
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has warned investors operating under the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme that they risk losing their permits if they fail to make substantial progress in developing their awarded flare gas sites within one year.
The warning is part of renewed efforts by the Federal Government to end routine gas flaring by 2030 and ensure that gas currently being wasted through flaring is converted into productive economic value.
The Commission Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, issued the warning during a working visit to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, in Abuja on Wednesday.
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According to a statement issued by the NUPRC Head of Corporate Communications and Media, Eniola Akinkuotu, Eyesan provided updates on the implementation of the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme and other initiatives being undertaken by the commission.
Eyesan said the regulator would no longer tolerate situations where flare gas sites awarded to investors remain undeveloped for extended periods.
She explained that the commission conducts an assessment one year after an award is granted to determine whether the investor has made considerable progress.
“One year after an award has been granted, the Commission conducts an evaluation to determine whether there has been considerable progress,” Eyesan said.
She added, “Where there is insufficient progress, the Commission will take appropriate regulatory action, including revocation of the award where necessary.”
The NUPRC boss disclosed that 43 flare gas sites were initially identified for award under the programme, while 27 sites have so far been successfully awarded to investors.
She noted that implementation activities were currently ongoing at the awarded sites.
The Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme was established to enable investors to utilise gas that would otherwise be burnt through routine flaring for commercially viable projects.
The programme is expected to reduce environmental pollution, create employment opportunities, generate additional revenue and increase gas supply for power generation, industries and other productive activities.
Nigeria currently has more than 215 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves, while its estimated total gas resource base stands at about 600 trillion cubic feet.
Meanwhile, Eyesan also disclosed progress in the implementation of the Host Community Development Trust framework established under the Petroleum Industry Act.
She said 173 Host Community Development Trusts had been incorporated, with 147 already funded. More than 1,001 projects are currently ongoing across host communities, while over 200 projects have been completed and commissioned.
Speaking during the visit, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, called for a more aggressive implementation of the country’s gas commercialisation programme.
Ekpo stressed the need to accelerate efforts to achieve Nigeria’s target of eliminating routine gas flaring by 2030.
He said the country must move away from practices that cause environmental pollution and focus on transforming its gas resources into valuable products and services that can drive economic growth.
“The core objective is to add value to our gas resources by converting them into critical products and services. We must move away from environmental pollution and toward productive resource utilization,” the minister said.
The latest warning underscores the NUPRC’s tougher stance on undeveloped flare gas assets as Nigeria seeks to turn its enormous gas resources into economic opportunities while reducing the environmental impact of gas flaring.
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