Housing deficit is causing untold hardship on the people of Kogi State amid the present economic hardship in the country, DAILY POST reports.
Kogi, which shares boundaries with about 10 states in the country, is hosting the popular River Niger and River Benue.
The strategic location of the state has made people settle down quickly since it was created in 1991 under the then Military regime of General Ibrahim Badamisi Babangida.
The issues of housing before now were a little bit fair for both the indigenes and civil servants working with the Federal and the State governments.
Unfortunately, it is now a nightmare for people who do not have their own house to get accommodation.
Some governors built houses for civil servants to ameliorate their sufferings.
Recall that during the then military administration of Colonel Paul Omeruo, (9th December 1993 – August 22 1996), he built Adankolo Estate, Colonel Augustine Aniebo, (August 1998 – May 1999) built what is now known as Aniebo Quarters, which is housing more than 300 Civil Servants both serving and retired in Kogi State.
Additionally, during the Civilian regime of Late Prince Abubakar Audu, (May 29th 1999 – May 29 2003) workers heaved a sign of relief concerning accommodation problem as his administration built first and second 200 housing units, Lokongoma Phase one, and two, Workers village, legislative quarters, while Ibrahim Idris, (May 29 2003 – 6th February, 2008) built 500 housing units and Captain Idris Ichalla Wada built flood estate for people affected by the 2012 flood in Kogi State.
The immediate past administration did not build housing estate for workers.
DAILY POST observed recently that a single room that used to be N40,000 depending on the area now goes for N80,000 to N100,000.
Also, one room and parlour self contain that is usually given out by landlords for N120,000 to N150,000 is now going for N350,000 to N450,000.
House rent for two and three bedroom flat is above N600,000 which is out of the reach of civil servants and other low income earners in the State.
Residents Lament
Some residents, including civil servants, disclosed that the skyrocketing rent, if not checked immediately by the State Government, could lead many residents into depression.
Abdullahi Umar, a resident of Adankolo said, “it is alarming the way landlords are increasing the prices of house rent.
“In Nigeria today, we are faced with hardship, many of us can’t send our children to school again. Now, house rent has hit the roof. Who did we offend in this country?
“Kogi State is even worse because the landlords don’t have pity on Kogites that are managing to earn a living.
“Imagine that I was paying N35,000 for one room, but I woke up one morning and my landlord said the house rent has increased to N90,000 without doing any renovations.
“This is the height of wickedness. We barely feed two times in a day and we are still battling with rent wahala. This must stop”.
Another resident, who identified herself as Hajia Mulikat Adomu, averred that the government should come up with a policy that would checkmate the excesses of landlords in the state.
According to her, some landlords were deliberately frustrating and inflicting pains on their tenants.
“Just because we don’t have any option, they keep treating us like rags.
“Government should please come to our aid. I believe when the government builds housing estate for residents and civil servants at a subsidized rate, it will ameliorate the sufferings of the masses and stop the consistent exploitation of the people by landlords,” she opined.
Landlords prefer renting houses to Yahoo Boys – Estate Manager cries out
Mr Peter Suleiman, Chief Executive Officer, Good Trust Estate Management Limited, says many landlords in Lokoja, the Kogi State Capital, now prefer to rent their houses to suspected advance fee fraudsters (Yahoo Boys), as tenants.
This, according to him, is because the yahoo boys can afford such exorbitant rent at the detriment of tenants running legitimate and genuine businesses.
In a chat with journalists recently, the estate expert, who appealed to the state government to urgently check the excesses of the landlords, noted that their action meant exploitation of genuine potential tenants.
Suleiman argued that the unhealthy development encouraged crime in the state.
He also expressed concern that as the landlords charged exorbitant rent, they failed to add value to their houses to make such structures conducive for the tenants.
He said: “It is quite unfortunate that landlords in Lokoja and its environs prefer to give their houses to yahoo boys instead of law abiding citizens.
“Just recently, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, apprehended some yahoo boys in Lokoja.
“Since they now know that staying in a hotel will expose their nefarious activities, they now prefer renting houses.
“When they approach these landlords, they can pay a higher amount.
“If you approach these landlords for house, they will open up to you that if you are not a yahoo boy, they won’t give you their house, because they are not sure if you can pay the next rent. Also, they will insist that you pay for two years.
“The essence of them insisting on Yahoo boys is that they know these guys will not complete their duration before exiting.
“What is now the hope of the common man who is doing genuine business? This is promoting cyber fraud.
“Everybody cannot do cyber fraud or yahoo yahoo as they all call it.
“The Kogi State Government should as a matter of urgency, come up with a policy to checkmate the excesses of these house owners in Lokoja, and other parts of Kogi State.
“This is necessary before all our children see advance fee fraud as the best line of making money,” he said.
Suleiman also lamented the prevalence of fake house agents operating in the state.
“These fake house agents masquerading around are the people deceiving the landlords by bringing Yahoo boys who will pay heavily for house rent.
“Kogi State is a civil service state and does not deserve this level of exploitation amid this harsh economy.
“Recently, I was managing one house, the landlord called me that he has jerked up his rent from N150, 000 to N600,000.
“I now asked, what are the modalities for this sudden increase when there is no renovation in the house?
“He told me openly that in the compound next to him, an agent brought some boys that paid N700,000 for house rent, and that do I expect him to still retain the old price?
“This is barbaric, satanic and should be stopped.
“If not urgently addressed, Kogi State will be snowballing into a hub of cyber fraud simply because of the mindset of these landlords who want to amass quick wealth for themselves without considering the implications,” he said.
Meanwhile, Suleiman has proposed 1000 housing units for civil servants in Kogi State.
In a statement sent to DAILY POST on Monday, he noted that Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo will be writing his name in gold when he builds the housing estate for civil servants to address the issues of housing deficit.
The Estate developer said “Things are very hard as we speak. Nigerians generally finds it difficult to feed themselves daily, aside paying exorbitant house rent.
“This 1000 proposed house units will cushion the suffering of civil servants in term of accommodation.
“It will save them from the consistent exploitations of landlords.”
Kogi govt. warns landlords against patronizing Yahoo Boys
Meanwhile, the Kogi State government has cautioned landlords in the state against renting their houses to internet fraudsters, popularly referred to as Yahoo Boys.
The State Security Adviser, Navy Commander Jerry Omodara (rtd), gave the warning during an interactive session with journalists in Lokoja.
He warned landlords that their houses risked demolition if they continued to give the apartments to Yahoo Boys.
According to him, “Security agencies will soon go after houses and hotels used by Yahoo Boys.
“Appropriate sanctions will be handed to affected landlords and hospitality facilities”.
He revealed that the government, in partnership with security agencies, had identified houses built with proceeds of criminal activities and those housing men of the underworld, insisting that such houses would soon be demolished.
Omodara urged residents to assist government and security agencies with necessary information to arrest internet fraudsters in the state.