Landlords Bemoan Closure Of Courts

Landlords in Rivers State
have cried out against the continuous closure of courts in Rivers State, describing it as injustice.
A port Harcourt landlord, Christian Alechi, who spoke with The Tide in Port Harcourt on Monday expressed regrets that the closure of the courts had remained till date.
Mr. Alechi said that it was unfortunate that the tenancy law was made in favour of tenants and pointed the tenants in Rivers State had continued to exploit it to their advantage.
He said that the law did not prescribe the use of self-help and blamed it for the unruly behaviour of tenants to their landlords.
Mr. Alechi also stated that the closure of the courts in the state had made tenants to remain in the houses of their landlords without paying rents.
According to him, “some of them want to remain without paying rents until whenever the courts resume and it is difficult to eject them.”
“You see things are no longer easy for the landlords because some of us depend on the rents to be able to make ends meet. Our houses are our investment. It is difficult,” the landlord stated.
Another landlord,  Mr. Bright Anele, sho spoke with The Tide in Port Harcourt Monday, said if the court did not resume soon, landlords would be compelled to use self-help.
He said that one could not afford to allow a tenant remain in one’s house without paying rents months after months.
Mr. Anele described the situation as pathetic and noted that he sacked his lawyer because he could not authorize him to employ self-help in his dealing with a recalcitrant tenant.
He said he had hoped that the lawyer would have backed him over the removal of the tenants doors and windows but he didn’t.
The landlord stated that until the courts resumed many things would go messy in the state.
“We cannot continue like this in Rivers State the warring parties must make a truce so that the state will move forward. The closure of the courts is affecting all segments of the economy of Rivers State,’ he stated.
He called on all well –meaning citizens of the state to work towards the re-opening of the courts.

 
Chidi Enyie