Ben Ezechime, Enugu
Mass protest has rocked the serene capital of Enugu capital over high cost of rent caused by the interference of Lawyers and rent agents in the metropolis.
The protest, which was led by Comrade Kindness Jonah of the Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, took the demonstrators round some streets of Enugu chanting how high rent is stifling the suffering tenants and scaring away prospective investors in the city.
The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions: “High rent in Enugu, no lawyer fee; high rent in Enugu, no agency fee; high rent in Enugu, stop legal fee, management and caution fee; no agency fee, no lawyer’s fee among others.
The demonstrators also called on the state government to check the unscrupulous activities of lawyers many of whom have Abandoned the courts and taken to exploit the people.
Speaking to journalists after the protest, the coordinator of the protest, Comrade Kindness Jonah, said the protest was against hike in rent in Enugu which was getting beyond the reach of the common man.
“By this demonstration today, we are saying that rents in Enugu are too high due to lawyers fee, agency fees.
“A landlord does not need agency. A landlord does not need a lawyer. A landlord should write his agreement in common English. Go and buy seal in high court and put it there.
“Agree with the tenant and that is how it used to be before but now the lawyers came into the scenario and hiked the rent, so that a landlord whether he needs a lawyer or not will charge lawyer’s fee and agent’s fee,” he said and asked the governor to intervene.
“Governor Peter must intervene because this is too much and it is affecting investors coming to state.
“The House of Assembly should sit up and enact a law to reduce the rent increase,” he said.
