The Kogi State House of Assembly has passed for second reading a bill aimed at repealing the existing rent control and recovery of residential premises law of 2007 and enacting a new tenancy law.

The private member bill, sponsored by Hon. Akus Lawal, representing Ankpa I constituency, was presented on Tuesday during a plenary session. According to Lawal, the proposed legislation will address significant gaps in the current law and provide better regulation of landlord-tenant relationships across the state.

In his lead debate, Lawal highlighted that the current law has been largely ineffective since 2007, with no regulations or gazette published under the Governor's authority to classify residential accommodations or specify standard maximum rents payable in the state.

"The result of that omission is that owners of premises, i.e., the landlords, have become lords onto themselves and thus operated unhindered and unchecked," Lawal stated. "The omission has also brought about a litany of rent cases before the courts in Kogi State given the wanton neglect to evolve a pragmatic approach to make the law efficacious."

The lawmaker emphasized that the new bill would help checkmate the "extortionist tendencies" of agents, introduce tax on rents, improve administrative efficiency, enhance legal clarity, ensure fairer representation on regulatory bodies, and promote modern digital approaches to tenancy regulation.

Hon. Shehu Tijani, representing Lokoja I, seconded the bill while lamenting the high rents being charged by landlords in Kogi State. "Last month, a cleric in Lokoja placed much emphasis on the bill. The people of Kogi State are waiting patiently for the speedy passage of this bill in order to stop the exploitation of our people by desperate landlords in Kogi State," he said.

Other lawmakers who contributed to the debate included Hon. Usman Adejoh of Idah State Constituency, who criticized landlords for capitalizing on the current economic situation and sometimes renting properties to individuals with questionable character for selfish interests.

The lawmaker representing Kogi Koton-Karfe suggested that the bill should not be limited to urban areas but should extend to villages, citing instances where "criminal elements like kidnappers and armed robbers build houses in villages to carry out their wicked activities."

Deputy Speaker, Hon. Comfort Nwuchiola Egwaba, argued that the bill would bring relief to Kogi residents and clarified that it was not aimed at witch-hunting either landlords or tenants.

Speaker of the House, Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf, charged the relevant committee to make wider consultations before the bill is passed. "We are aware that landlords are trying to equate with property owners in Abuja and many more. We have not gotten there because of our social amenities. We are also aware that we have some tenants that will occupy a property and destroy it. This is why there should be a law to regulate their activities and ensure that things are done right in our State," he stated.

The bill has been committed to the House joint committee on judiciary and finance for further legislative actions.