Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed support for the bill seeking to outlaw payment of house rent in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on a yearly basis.
The congress said it was inconceivable, callous and wicked to expect Nigerian workers who earn salaries on monthly basis to pay house rent on a yearly basis, adding that the passage of the bill will rescue many Nigerian workers and ordinary people from the rent-siege.
The bill which was introduced by the Senator representing the Kogi West Senatorial District in the senate, Senator Smart Adeyemi is titled, “Advanced Rent (Residential Apartments, Office Spaces, etc.) Regulation Bill 2022” has gone through first reading on the floor of the Nigerian Senate.
The bill provides for a maximum of three months advance rent payment in the first instance and subsequent monthly payment for the rest of any tenancy lease in the FCT.
The bill also makes it an offence for any landlord in the FCT to demand payment of advance rent from tenants.
In a statement yesterday, NLC president, Ayuba Wabba said Nigerian workers welcome the legislative initiative by Senator Smart Adeyemi who is also a comrade as a former President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), an affiliate of the NLC.
He said, “We need to once again make the point that workers are paid on a monthly basis and so it is inconceivable, callous and wicked to expect them to pay on a yearly basis.
The crisis of house rent in Abuja is so problematic that it has become the sub-burner for all manner of social misnomers such as official corruption, prostitution, and violent crimes in urban centers particularly the FCT as most Nigerians are put under the insufferable pressure to make a lot of money to afford a roof over their heads”.
He added, “It is also important to reiterate our earlier calls on the government including the ministry of the Federal Capital Territory Administration and relevant agencies of government responsible for the provision of houses to double up on their efforts to make decent houses particularly lands available and affordable to Nigerian workers and people.”