28 TENANTS FLEE ESTATE WHERE ELECTRICITY BILL ARE MORE THAN RENT PAYMENT

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

It seems shocking that the 28 Tenants occupying flats at an Estate located at Orisumbare in Shasha area have fled from their rented flats over an outrageous bill by electricity company which they claimed was more than the rent they pay to their landlord.

The Estate is located at 100/110 Ejigbo Road in Orisumbare in Lagos suburb owned by a renowned and medical consultant, professor, Achike Anamdi.

The electricity company in charge of the area is Ikeja Electric Distribution whose Lagos head office is located at Ikeja, Lagos.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that the landlord collects rent arrears from tenants between N150,000 and N200,000 for each flat per anum but the electricity bill is N300,000 and above for the same flat per year.

Thus the annual rent and electricity bill for each flat was between N450,000 and N500,000 in that remote area.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the flats was abandoned for three years now as no tenant want to rent the place after hearing that the flats receive Monthly bill estimated millions of naira more than their yearly rent.

This was confirmed by the Landlord who said the electricity company has destroyed his investment in the estate business after spending 40 years in abroad and returned to Nigeria to invest.

When P.M.EXPRESS correspondent visited the Estate in question, the flats were still vacant and the residents said the place was abandoned due to high electricity bill.

“Nobody wants to live there because when any tenant wants to rent the place and hear the bill such tenants will quietly leave” a resident said.

Anamdi explained that the bill was accumulated despite no tenant was living there for over three years.

He said at the initial stage when he finished building the houses, all the Estate flats were rented to tenants until the electricity company started bringing terrible bill to the occupants and they left.

He said it was not that he had issues with the tenants that left, but they complained that the electricity bill they pay in their flats was far more than the amount they paid to rent the apartment.

He said he had virtually tried what was possible except going to court to prevail the electricity company to look into the matter which they never did.

Efforts to speak with the officials of Ikedi electricity company for comments failed as the PRO number was switched off.

However, sources at the office said the bill might have accumulated due to estimated bills and non payment of by the former tenants who occupied the flats before.

On why the bill was still coming despite the management has been informed, he declined to make further comment and said it was the system.

Anamdi has threatened to go to court for the damages caused by the company.

pmexpressng