The Governor Ifeanyi Okowa administration inherited about N1 billion debts in unpaid rents for ministries occupying rented apartments, according to the Commissioner for Lands and Surveys, Mr. Chika Ossai.
Speaking with banneronlinenews.com on phone this morning, Wednesday, September 6th, 2017 in response to inquiries over the unpaid rents for the property occupied by the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources on Chinedu Ezenyili Street, Asaba, which prompted the landlord to lock up the facility for about two weeks running, Mr. Ossai said the problem began with the over N1 billion inherited from the past administration in unpaid rents for properties occupied by Ministries.
He said the Okowa administration has been able to offset part of the rents leaving a balance of about N100 million indebtedness.
Asked why the Ministry that is responsible for ensuring the payment of such rents to the property owners should be allowed to lock the premises, leaving the workers helpless with no office facility to carry out their duties, Chika said: “The landlord is unnecessarily being stubborn. What we are owing the landlord is just one year rent, and I don’t think that is enough justification to go and lock the premises.”
He confirmed that what is currently owed the landlord is N4.8million, adding that hopefully the Ministry office will be unlocked today.
Told that people are surprised that the Ministry which is a major office for the implementation and actualization of the prosperity mantra of the Okowa administration through the SMART agenda of the government, Chika said the Ministry staffs have not been out of work because their jobs are mainly done outside the office.
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