WHEN TWO ELEPHANTS FIGHT, THE GRASS SUFFERS!

Monday

Who should pay the agent? This should be a straight forward question, especially with the recent Tenancy Law, which laid down regulations for tenancy matters. Yet this question continues to rear its ugly head daily between clients and agents. The Law says that whoever appoints the agent, should pay for the service. What is so hard to understand in this matter?  You still find Agents hustling everyone else apart from their clients for their fees, or as in my case last week, the client blatantly telling the agent to go get their fees from elsewhere.  Who will implement our Laws?

Tuesday

I heard on the news this morning that Hugo Chaves, the President of Venezuela, has embarked on a mission to provide at least 2 million good quality low cost housing for all the disadvantaged people in his country. He has apparently already provided homes for hundreds of thousands of his people since his tenure began and will press ahead until it reaches the two million mark and above! Poverty levels have dropped from 50% since his tenure started to 28% today! That is so commendable. Why on earth can’t Nigeria do the same? If only 1% of a fraction of all the alleged stolen money from oil, pensions etc was put towards developing homes for Nigerians, half of the country’s problems would be solved

Wednesday

The Makoko waterside shanty community which has been built up over a number of years on the waterside in Yaba, has been finally demolished. Hundreds of thousands of people have been made homeless without a thought about relocating or providing alternative accommodation for them. A few months ago I wrote about the threats to demolish this community when a senior state official said in the press that “he did not care where they went to, they should just move themselves away from the area” At the time I had dared to venture into that community for some charity work and I was appalled at the sanitary conditions, or should I say, the lack of it. Therefore the community does need help. I am dismayed though it has been so ruthlessly demolished without a thought for alternative housing for them. Where will all these people go?

Thursday

In the process of demolishing the shanties of Makoko, some children unfortunately lost their lives in the chaos that followed the officials moving in with their bulldozers. A community leader was also killed in the process. It is sad that lives were lost and from news that has been published, no plans have been made for these displaced residents and their numerous children. The State Government should step in to ensure the safe resettlement of these people, although it may unfortunately be too late for some.

Friday

It is highly amusing to hear about land tussle cases that go on in Nigeria, some border on the ridiculous and others sound like comedy sketches. I was reading with my eyes wide open, the land dispute going on in an Abuja high court between two “very very very” important women. One of the women was given an allocation of prime land with Right of Occupancy for her NGO a few years ago. Development started on the land in late 2011 during which a backdated revocation notice was sent to her by the relevant Ministry. The land was then duly allocated to the second woman’s NGO??? The FG has stepped into the case, which has been back and forth in court and has now been adjourned further till the end of this year! It will be interesting to see the outcome of this case. As the proverbial saying goes, “when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers”

Our own Tsunami

Monday
With the few days of rainfall we had recently and the resulting aftermath, you would have thought a hurricane and tsunami hit Lagos State. The shoreline and beaches around the Lekki Peninsula, seems to be eroding at an alarming rate! Some homes in the Alpha beach area had the ocean pay an unexpected visit, with sea water flooding roads, houses and shops, knocking down structures and causing chaos in the area. People had to vacate their homes.  What was once seen as desirable to live near the sea, has now become life threatening.

Tuesday
More and more estates are springing up along the Lekki expressway axis, small, medium, big, serviced, remote, motorable, unmotorable. These estates come in various sizes to suit all pockets. I had to visit one of these estates today, but unfortunately had to turn back before getting there, due to the terrible access roads.

Wednesday
We have been promised by the Eko Electricity Distribution Company(EEDC)  that they will immediately commence the free installation of pre paid meters within one month of payment of connection charges. This will be good news for millions of residents who have are being charged for electricity they are not using. Now people will only pay for what they use and buy only what they need. No more illegal charging and fraudulent activities around electricity. The CEO of EEDC has said that we will start to see an improvement both in power supply and in services by the end of this month. We look forward to this miracle IJN

Thursday
I received a phone call from a lady who lives in the UK but has an empty property on one of the popular estates on the Island, she wanted a short let tenant for her 5 bedroom detached house in Lekki. I told her I would do my best, but she should consider having a tenant for at least one year as most short let requests are for smaller serviced units in VI or Ikoyi. She agreed to this and I spread the news to other agents and clients I thought may be interested. I was contacted by another agent who had a client working in an oil company near the estate. We arranged an inspection immediately. The client, who was relocating from abroad, was happy with the property and started negotiating immediately.  He wanted 2 years instead of 1 year. I sent him a formal offer and contacted the landlady.

Friday
The landlady contacted me, to say she really did not want 2 years but will consider it if the client did not use the boys quarters! I explained that a family that needed a 5 bedroom house would more than likely need the boys quarters. She later said “I hear that in Nigeria, I do not have to pay your fees? you will need to sort yourself out with the client” I took a deep breath before saying very politely” Madam YOU contacted me to let YOUR property, my fees should be paid by YOU”  There was a pause on the other end of the line, before she said “ok I will consider something for you!

I am considering dropping this case as a matter of principle, although it will be a travesty to lose what I have already put so much into. What a business!