Rivers
Port Harcourt Residents Decry High Rent
Residents of Port Harcourt in Rivers State, have called on the state government to intervene in the high cost of housing in the city.
The residents told our correspondent that unless something was done urgently by the government to address astronomical cost of housing in the state, some of them might be forced to relocate to the suburbs or out of the capital.
It was learnt that rent offered for a one room “self-contained’’ apartment is between N150, 000 and N200, 000 per annum while a one-bedroom flat costs N250, 000 to N350, 000 per annum, depending on the location.
Two-bedroom apartment, investigation revealed is offered for rent at between N400, 000 and N500, 000 per annum.
One of the residents, Mr Kelvin Onwuka, lamented that house rent in the city was fast getting out of the reach of public servants, saying that it was becoming increasingly difficult for government employees to live in good houses.
Onwuka, a civil servant said that housing was a critical social service issue and called on the Federal Government to enact laws that would regulate housing, especially rents in the country.
“Cost of accommodation in Port Harcourt is increasing by the day and it is becoming worrisome. It is high time the Federal Government made laws to control house rents and other housing issues in the country.
“Here, in Port Harcourt, the government should have a mutual understanding with landlords on what rent should be so that it can be affordable,” he said.
Another resident, Mrs Chinelo Friday, attributed the high cost of housing in the state capital to roles played by housing agents and greedy landlords.
She said that aside from the high monthly rent charged in the city, agents and some landlords demand two to three years advance payment for apartments.
A housing agent, Mr Bernard Chinda, called for a law to check the high cost of housing in the country, saying that this should be done urgently.
He said that average public servants in big cities, including Port Harcourt were suffering.
“The problem here is that the popular ‘face-me, I-face-you’ apartments are no longer in vogue; most houses have been transformed to modern structures.
“People believe that housing agents are responsible for the increasing cost of house rent in the city but that is not true because rent for an apartment cannot be beyond rate fixed by a landlord,” Chinda said.
The Rivers state Chief Judge, Justice SIMONE CHIBUZOR-AMADI has given an indication to sanction any lawyer who fail to comply with directive of a judge in the state to transferred a case to Rivers State Multi Door Courthouse for Alternatives Dispute Resolution.
Justice AMADI stated this during a brief ceremony held at the chief judge auditorium in port Harcourt Friday held to hand over certificates of operation to two private ADR chambers on Precarious Dispute Resolution Services and Harmony Arbitration and mediation center .
He urged the two private ADR centres to be diligent in the discharge of their duties and warned against compromising the standard of Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR but should observed the regulations set out in collaboration regulation by the state Multi Door Court House.
Earlier in a address, the Director of the State Multi Door Courthouse, VICTOR NWEKE esq, highlighted some of the achievements of the Multi Door Courthouse especially in decongestion of court rooms.
NWEKE while disclosing how the department certified the two private ADR centres called for serious punitive measures be taken against any lawyer who fail to comply with a case referred to Multi Door Court House by a judge or magistrates in the state.
In her acceptance speech on behalf of the two certified private ADR centres, ALICE NIMI commended the State Judiciary and Multi Door Courthouse for the approval and assured that all the rules and regulations spelt out will be followed.
In a related development; the Rivers State Judiciary has assured its readiness to collaborate with Nigerian Securityding Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC in using Alternative Dispute Resolution to resolve some of the issues in their office.
The state Chief Judge , Justice SIMONE CHIBUZOR-AMADI made the promise when he received in audience the Zonal Commander of NSCDC, Assistant Commandant General, AYINLA TALYE OLOWO and his team who paid him a courtesy visit in his office , Friday where issuees ADR utilization took centre stage.
He used the opportunity to brief his visitors on the hurdles judges faces daily in the court room and the need for the decongestion of the court room , stressing that one judge handle more than three hundred cases but that if lawyers and litigants adopt ADR practice court rooms can be releive of the daily congestions.
The state Chief Judge however urged NSCDC to ensure a wider sensitization of the members of the public on the practice of ADR for a better awareness and knowledge.
Earlier in his speech, the Zonal Commander of NSCDC, Assistant Commandant General, AYINLA TALYE-OLOWO said the visit was to seek collaboration on the use of ADR in resolving some issues which he insisted would help decongest the courtrooms.
Our correspondent reports officials of the Rivers State Multi Door Courthouse led by the Director, VICTOR NWEKE led the team of NSCDC on a technical session where information on how to the fully in cooperated into the Multi Door Courthouse and operation of ADR will be emphasized.
Akujobi Amadi