Members of the Kwara State legislature have expressed support for the government’s intention to regulate rents in the state.
The state government had forwarded a bill, ‘Rent control and recovery of premises,’ which aims, among other things, to regulate rent in the state, to the house of assembly.
Leading other members in the debate, the Majority Leader of the House, Chief AbdulGaniyu Abdulkarim said the bill, if passed into law, would reduce the suffering of the people. He pointed out that the law became imperative in view of the influx of people into the state.
A member representing Ekiti constituency, Mrs. Felicia Owolabi, said the bill was progressive but cautioned against the aspect which empowered the state government to regulate rents. According to her, such a provision may not be enforceable.
Other legislators including Mrs. Modupe Ojeleye; Dr. Abraham Ashaolu; Mr. David Bamidele and a member representing Ojomu Balogun constituency, Mr. Olayonu Tope, also called for caution on the rent regulatory provision of the bill.
However, members representing Omupo, Afon and Ilorin East constituencies, Mr. Mashood Bakare, Alhaji Hamidu Afolabi and Hajia Nimota Ibrahim respectively, said the government would be responding to the yearnings of the masses by regulating rent in the state.
According to them, most tenants are suffering due to high cost of house rent imposed by landlords, which ranges from one to three years.
The Deputy Speaker, Prof. Mohammed Yisa, who presided over the sitting, said the proposed law intended to address numerous issues rather than just regulating the activities of the landlords.
After the second reading of the bill, Yisa directed the House Committee on Land and Urban Development to take over further legislative processes of the bill at the committee stage.
Source: PUNCH