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Enugu residents lament high costs of accommodations

Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi

* Urge Enugu State Government to enact rent-control law

Helen Omeghara | ConsumerConnect

I regard to the comparatively high cost of accommodations due to the much-talked-about housing and basic infrastructure deficits Nigerians are being confronted with  over time, some residents of Enugu, Enugu State capital, have expressed concern over the astronomical rise in house rent in the Southeastern city.

A cross-section of the people, who spoke on the development, said that decent accommodations in Enugu were becoming unaffordable to low-income earners, says agency report.

The residents called for an urgent intervention of the government in order to make accommodation affordable, especially for civil servants in the state.

Mr. Dennis Orji, one of the affected residents, urged the Enugu State Government to enact a law to control rent in Enugu, in order to check the arbitrary increase in rent by house owners.

“If rent control law is put in place, government will be able to regulate house rents, and this will make accommodation more affordable,’’ Mr. Orji said.

Mr. Charles Ibe, a trader, said rent increases were rampant in the metropolis, adding that “only the state government can control the trend.’

Mrs. Chinelo Agu also related that she paid N450,000 to rent a three-bedroom flat at Achara Layout three years ago, including agent and lawyer’s fees of N50,000 and N100,000 respectively.

However, Mrs. Agu regretted that she could no longer afford such amount because of the downturn in her business.

Mr. Solomon Onuh said he could not afford to pay N350,000 for a three-bedroom flat, hence he decided to relocate to his village in Agbani from where he was commuting to work daily.

Mr. Gabriel Ogbu, an estate developer, said that high rents were particularly common with newly built houses.

According to him, due to high costs of land and building materials, newly built houses command high rents.

“It again, depends on where they are located.

“Some that are located at Government Reserved Areas (GRA) or Independence Layout go for between N700,000 and N1million a flat,’’ Ogbu said.

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