Residents of Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State, have expressed sadness over the indiscriminate hike in house rents by landlords, agents, and lawyers in the state and called for urgent government intervention.
Some residents who spoke to LEADERSHIP maintained that paying house rent in Abakaliki has become a burden on civil servants, public servants, and businessmen whose take-home pay and profits can no longer adequately cater to their other needs.
They attributed the indiscriminate hike to the activities of Yahoo boys, who are now willing tools in the hands of the landlords.
A resident, Mr. Pascal Nwafor, lamented that most landlords now prefer to give their houses to Yahoo boys, who are willing and eager to pay any amount to secure accommodation within the capital city.
Mr. Nwafor appealed for urgent government intervention to end the indiscriminate hike adding that a good number of civil servants in the state have relocated to the village because of the inability to meet up with the huge burden on house rent.
“I live in a 3-bedroom flat in Abakaliki. Two years ago, I paid N450 000 as an initial payment, only for the rent to be increased to N900 000. Those who couldn’t pay had to relocate. Today, the six flats are occupied by young boys suspected to be Yahoo boys.
“Regrettably, the rents are increased without prompt notice. Once they get a bigger offer from the boys, they will instruct the lawyer to increase the rent or they will use the guise that they want to embark on renovation to kick old tenants out.
“Just this year, not fewer than 10 families in our area relocated to the village. It is less expensive coming to work from the village instead of paying a landlord between N600,000 to N700,000 annually. How will a civil servant whose take-home pay monthly is N80,000 be able to cough out N900,000 annually as rent? How will he cater to the other needs of the family?
“There has been a series of complaints to the State Government and the legislature, but it seems our cries have continued to fall on deaf ears. The reason is not far-fetched; most of the new houses are owned by government functionaries in the state.
Another resident and businesswoman, Mrs. Ifeoma Okeke, said, “I believe strongly that there was an agreement amongst the landlords to hike the house rents. Between October and early January this year, 99% of the landlords increased their house rents about 100%.
“My landlord, through his lawyer, wrote to all the tenants in November announcing an increment from N550,000 to N1.1 million. The letter made it clear that whoever that cannot pay has been given end of January to park out.
“Unfortunately, many could not afford the rent and have parked out. The house is now without an occupant. But no doubt, in a couple of days now, the same crop of people will still occupy the house.
“Our government, especially the legislature, should come up with a law regulating the incessant increment of house rent by landlords. Government should make policies that will stop this trend. Government policies should have human faces, and there must not be sacred cows.
“Regrettably, landlords of old structures that have stayed over 30 years have also joined in the trend. Many of them now use the economic situation in the country as an excuse,” she said.
Reacting to the outcry, the speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Hon Moses Odunwa, assured that the House of Assembly would soon convene to discuss the issue.
