NUJ Applauds Senate’s Rent Regulation Bill 2022

BY VICTOR BUORO – The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has praised the Nigerian Senate for its bold moves at checking the exploitative tendencies of landlords and bringing succour to tenants in the country.

The Union, which described the “Advanced Rent (Residential Apartments, Office Spaces, etc) Regulation Bill 2022,” currently before the Red Chamber as ‘timely and welcomed’, said when passed, the law would be of immense benefit to poor workers who are at the mercy of manipulative landlords.

Speaking on the proposed legislation that seeks to regulate the payment of rent being imposed by landlords, the NUJ National President, Comrade Chris Isiguzo declared the Union’s total support for the Bill initiated by its former President, Senator Smart Adeyemi, saying the development “will make rent payment less cumbersome and burdensome for workers” going forward.

Comrade Isiguzo said landlords’ victimization of tenants using the argument of demand and supply is ‘unhealthy’, insisting that it is a “tendency must be confronted headlong to reduce the suffering of poor workers.”

A statement issued in Abuja on Friday by the NUJ President read thus; “We commend the Nigerian Senate for the successful first reading of a bill entitled “Advanced Rent (Residential Apartments, Office Spaces, etc) Regulation Bill 2022,” which seeks to regulate the payment of rent being imposed by landlords. This is timely and welcomed.

“This private member bill is sponsored by a former President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Senator Smart Adeyemi. The bill if passed into law will be of immense help to poor workers who live at the mercy of exploitative landlords.

“We note the fact that rent in Abuja is very exploitative because landlords have no obligation to spend rents paid in making such rented homes decent. Payment of rent is a callous enterprise as landlords exploit the fact that workers don’t have enough to buy their own homes.

“It is in the light of the above that we support totally, this initiative by our former President which will make rent payment less cumbersome and burdensome for workers.

“We believe the National Assembly should expedite action on this progressive bill in order to ameliorate the sufferings of workers who despite the fact that they are paid salaries monthly, greedy Landlords insist on annual payment of rent.

“Exploiting tenants by landlords who support their acts of victimization by arguing in terms of demand and supply basis is unhealthy, and this tendency must be confronted headlong to reduce the suffering of poor workers.”