National Issues
Pains, torment of being a tenant in Abuja
IN advanced countries, housing is a form of social product, it is governmental provision for the citizenry, although not free, but the government has a technique of making it comfortable for her citizens. Here in Nigeria, the reverse is the case.
A landlord could wake up one day and decide he wants the tenant out of his house; perhaps out of spite, perhaps because he needs the property urgently, perhaps because he has a better offer. Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter.
The landlord is the alpha and omega and the tenant at his mercy. Failure of the tenant to comply would often result in a forced eviction. The tenant is forcibly removed from the premises with his or her things thrown out and sometimes, the tenant’s property is removed from the premises in his or her absence.
Some landlords and quack agents have almost perfected this act of illegality. The trend has however been abated with the realization that such actions is frowned at by the law.
Landlords and their palava
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:25)
Mr Olanrewaju recounted his torment in the hands of his Hausa landlord. Mr Olanrewaju had earlier paid for two years house rent, after a year of occupancy, the landlord demanded that he pay more, reason, because other landlords have increase house rent. Olarenwaju declined such demand and referred the landlord to his tenancy agreement which they both duly signed, but surprisingly, the landlord refused to acknowledge his agreement. The consequences were that Mr Olarenwaju was given a seven-day quick notice to evacuate the room.
“He gave me the notice on a Monday morning, then on Thursday, he started knocking my door, saying someone has paid for my room that I should move out in three days’ time. I was busy looking for a room, but I couldn’t get one, in fact, I was not financially capable to do much running’s or guarantee a good house since the landlord said he won’t return my money until I move out. It was on
Monday morning, I was preparing to go to work when I noticed a carpenter was working on my roof, I thought it was a usual change of leaking roof but again, I remembered that my room was not leaking after all, as I dashed out to find out what was going on, the landlord said he is removing my roof so that I will know that I have overstayed my welcome in the house. I had no choice than to move my things to a nearby uncompleted building”
A resident who spoke with the reporter decried the manner at which landlords wickedly increase house rents without doing any major renovation. Paul Okiti, a business man, lamented on how his landlord, without notice, increased the rent of his self-contain apartment from 130 thousand to 155 thousand naira.
“Last year, I moved into a self-contain apartment with a tenancy fee of one hundred and thirty thousand naira. It was when I wanted to renew my rent last month that my landlord told me the rent has increased to one hundred and fifty-five thousand naira.
“I had no choice than to pay him the total amount because I cannot stand the stress of looking for another apartment”.
“Most of these landlords you see are without conscience”, he concluded.
An Abuja based civil engineer lamented on the high cost of renting an apartment in Abuja.
“Abuja is only meant for the rich. Very few residents live in a decent apartment. You find majority of resident living in satellite towns, and mostly in villages. If you are not a politician, then you can’t have a decent apartment in Abuja”
In a similar reaction, A civil servant at the ministry of education decried the cost of accommodation in Abuja. She was quick to add that landlords now see increase in house rents as serious business.
“Oga, where I go see money rent house for Asokoro or Wuse 11?
“Only the rich ones can afford apartment in those areas. Even as I dey live for Karu, I dey sweat before I pay house rent.
“Rent is on the high side in Abuja, and the landlords are not being fair. They now increase rent on daily basis without pitying their tenants”, she added.
It would be recalled that the federal government enacted laws to regulate landlords and tenant’s relationships. These laws are Recovery of Premises Act. Cap 544 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990; Rent Control & Recovery of Residential Premises Law, Vol. 7, Laws of Lagos State, 2003; Lagos Tenancy Law, 2011.
Most of the landlords today, who have hitherto been a tenant, do not care about the laws or rules guiding landlord and tenants, to them, the house belongs to them and they are free to make their decision anytime.
The over-all case of landlords has made Nigeria housing situation look like a lawless one as the Landlords don’t care about what the law says in concerning their respective actions and inaction. It is an obvious fact that the landlords see Nigeria economic situations favourable for their welfare.
FCT residents groan in pains over hike in house rents.
As the cost of housing continues to rise in Abuja, so also the presence of exotic houses, both completed and uncompleted all over the city. Many of these houses have one thing in common: they’re empty Many of the home occupiers in Abuja today are mostly tenants who pay for accommodation yearly.
However, apartments in highbrow areas like Asokoro, Wuse, Garki, Maitama, and Gwarinpa are solely reserved for wealthy Nigerians.
Consequently, many of the houses in these areas remained unoccupied. Findings evinced that there are a lot of estates built by some super-rich Nigerians who do not bother even if the buildings remain unoccupied for decades. But the satellite towns like Kubwa, Nyanya, Karu, Nyanya, and Lugbe among others are mainly occupied by the low and middle-class worker and are characterized by yearly increase of rent.
Findings reveals that a three bedroom flat in Asokoro, Gwarinpa, Wuse, and Maitama could cost up to 4-6 million naira per annum, while a one or two bedroom flat in the same vicinity could go for a much as 2-4 million Naira per annum. On the other hand, a one bedroom flat in satellite towns like Lugbe, Kubwa, Karu amongst others cost up to 300-350 thousand naira per annum while a self-contain apartment goes for 150-200 thousand naira per annum.
According to a resident, as long as the houses or estates are beyond the reach of the common man, they will continue to be unoccupied. He further said as a result of the development, lots of people move to the suburbs like Suleja, Gwagwalada, Nyanya, Mararaba, Dutse among others because they cannot afford houses in Maitama, Asokoro, Wuse and others.
“Because of this development, they have been mounting pressure on the government to introduce property tax in FCT so that the owners of such houses will decide whether to stay in or sell them or give them to those who want to rent at affordable price. The tax, apart from forcing homeowners to rent out houses, will help government earn revenue,” he said.
Recall that during the 7th National Assembly, Senator Smart Adeyemi proposed a bill seeking to regulate the relationship between landlords and tenants as well as make provision for rent control in the FCT, but it was not passed before the close of the assembly.
Every day with the increase in population, there is a concurrent need for houses to accommodate this rising population. As a result, there has always been the need for individuals, corporations and governments to build and lease or rent houses to fill this void. These houses could either be for residential or commercial purposes.
Due to the Nigerian undue attachment to land and landed property, so much attention and superiority is added to the status of “Landlordship”. This makes up for the ill treatment the so-called landlords do met out to their often-poor tenants.
By Gbenga Odunsi, Abuja
In response to the escalating security challenges plaguing Nigeria, no fewer than 16 state governors have thrown their weight behind the establishment of state police forces.
This development was disclosed by the National Economic Council (NEC) during its 140th meeting, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, which took place virtually on Thursday.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, who briefed State House Correspondents after the meeting, revealed that out of the 36 states, 20 governors and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were yet to submit their positions on the matter, though he did not specify which states were among them.
The governors advocating for state police also pushed for a comprehensive review of the Nigerian Constitution to accommodate this crucial reform. Their move underscores the urgency and gravity of the security situation across the nation.
Similarly, the NEC received an abridged report from the ad-hoc committee on Crude Oil Theft Prevention and Control. This committee, headed by Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, highlighted the areas of oil leakages within the industry and identified instances of infractions.
Governor Uzodinma’s committee stressed the imperative of political will to drive the necessary changes and reforms needed to combat crude oil theft effectively.
Renowned academician, Professor Augustine Okereke, from the Medgar Evers College/City University of New York, has emphasised the detrimental impact of a lack of strong social institutions on Nigeria’s sustainable development.
Presenting a lead paper at the First Annual Ibadan Social Science Conference hosted by the University of Ibadan, Professor Okereke urged President Bola Tinubu to foster robust institutions capable of combatting corruption and addressing social ills.
“All our institutions are on the decline,” warned Professor Okereke, underscoring the urgent need for effective structures to facilitate sustainable development. He highlighted the challenges faced by African countries, emphasising the risk of continued poverty, underemployment, and injustice without these foundational structures.
The Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ibadan, Professor Ezebunwa Nwokocha, asserted the university’s commitment to providing intellectual, context-specific solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.
He called on state and federal governments to patronise researchers in the country, emphasising the faculty’s reputation for producing intellectual leaders.
Professor Nwokocha stated, “Our faculty is reputed for offering deeply intellectual, workable, and context-specific solutions to the challenges faced by Nigeria over the ages.” He emphasised the significance of the conference’s theme in aiding Nigeria’s navigation through its complex existential reality marked by despair, rising inflation, insecurity, corruption, and unemployment.
During the conference’s opening, Vice Chancellor Professor Kayode Adebowale noted the relevance of the theme, “Social Science, Contemporary Social Issues, and the Actualization of Sustainable Development,” urging participants to generate transformative ideas for Nigeria.
Acknowledging the nation’s progress over 63 years, he expressed concern over setbacks in the economy and social indices, hoping the conference would proffer solutions.
In his keynote address, Professor Lai Erinosho stressed the rapid worldwide social change in the digital age, citing both benefits and unanticipated consequences for human survival. He cautioned against embracing same-sex relationships, citing dangerous implications for humanity.
The First Annual Ibadan Social Science Conference convened a diverse array of participants to explore solutions and intellectual leadership in addressing Nigeria’s pressing challenges.
As the country grapples with economic challenges, the latest figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed a surge in the inflation rate to 28.92%, according to the December 2023 Consumer Price Index (CPI) released on a Monday afternoon.
The CPI, tracking the fluctuation in prices of goods and services, illustrates a notable increase from the previous month’s 28.20%, underscoring the pressing concerns surrounding the nation’s economic stability.
In a recent report, the Statistics Office revealed a notable uptick in the headline inflation rate for December 2023, marking a 0.72 percentage point increase from the previous month’s figure in November 2023.
On a year-on-year basis, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) highlighted a significant surge, with the December 2023 rate standing at 7.58 percentage points higher compared to the corresponding period in 2022.
December 2022 witnessed an inflation rate of 21.34 percent, underscoring the economic dynamics at play.
“This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in December 2023 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., December 2022),” NBS said.
In a further revelation, the bureau disclosed that the month-on-month headline inflation rate for December 2023 experienced a 2.29 percent surge, surpassing November 2023 by 0.20 percent. This indicates a swifter rise in the average price level compared to the preceding month.
The report highlighted a concerning acceleration in food inflation, reaching 33.93 percent on a year-on-year basis for December 2023. This marked a substantial 10.18 percent points increase from December 2022’s rate of 23.75 percent. The data underscores the persistent upward trend in food prices, a trend exacerbated by various government policies, including the removal of subsidies on petrol.
Notably, in July 2023, President Tinubu declared a State of Emergency on food insecurity to address the escalating food prices. Taking decisive action, the President mandated that issues related to food and water availability and affordability fall under the jurisdiction of the National Security Council, recognising these as essential livelihood items in need of urgent attention.
In Monday’s inflation report, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) detailed the key contributors to the year-on-year increase in the headline index. The leading factors include food & non-alcoholic beverages at 14.98 percent, housing water, electricity, gas & other fuel at 4.84 percent, clothing & footwear at 2.21 percent, and transport at 1.88 percent.
Additional contributors encompass furnishings & household equipment & maintenance (1.45 percent), education (1.14 percent), health (0.87 percent), miscellaneous goods & services (0.48 percent), restaurant & hotels (0.35 percent), alcoholic beverages, tobacco & kola (0.31 percent), recreation & culture (0.20 percent), and communication (0.20 percent).
The report highlighted a substantial 24.66 percent change in the average Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the twelve months ending December 2023 over the previous twelve-month period. This represents a significant 5.81 percent increase compared to the 18.85 percent recorded in December 2022, indicating ongoing inflationary pressures in the economy.
Food Inflation
In a concerning trend, the food inflation rate for December 2023 surged to 33.93 percent on a year-on-year basis, marking a substantial 10.18 percent points increase from the same period in 2022, when the rate stood at 23.75 percent.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) attributed this rise in food inflation to notable increases in the prices of various essential items. Key contributors include bread and cereals, oil and fat, potatoes, yam, and other tubers, fish, meat, fruit, milk, cheese, and eggs.
These price hikes collectively contributed to the intensified strain on consumers, highlighting the complex dynamics driving the upward trajectory of food prices.
“On a month-on-month basis, the Food inflation rate in December 2023 was 2.72 percent, this was 0.30 percent higher compared to the rate recorded in November 2023 (2.42 percent),” it said.
Clarifying the dynamics behind the recent uptick, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) explained that the month-on-month increase in food inflation for December 2023 was spurred by a heightened rate of escalation in the average prices of oil and fat, meat, bread, and cereals, potatoes, yam, and other tubers, as well as fish and dairy products like milk, cheese, and eggs.
“The average annual rate of food inflation for the twelve months ending December 2023 over the previous twelve-month average was 27.96 percent, which was a 7.02 percent points increase from the average annual rate of change recorded in December 2022 (20.94 percent),” the report added.
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