By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Government of Ebonyi state has moved to regulate house rents, estate agents’ charges and the activities of scrap dealers, with the State Executive Council (EXCO) approving the transmission of key reform bills to the State House of Assembly.

The proposed legislation, approved during the EXCO meeting held at the Government House, Centenary City, Abakaliki, also seeks to revive industrial activities through a new cement plant project and accelerate the completion of abandoned road projects across the state.

Briefing journalists after the meeting on Tuesday, the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Chief Ikeuwah Omebeh, said the landlord-tenant bill would curb arbitrary charges by estate agents by introducing a legal cap on agency fees.

According to him, under the proposed law, estate agents will not be permitted to collect more than two per cent of the total rent paid by tenants, while only duly registered and qualified practitioners will be allowed to operate.

He explained that the measure is designed to shield residents from exploitative practices in the housing sector.

“EXCO approved the transmission of the bill to the Ebonyi State House of Assembly for proper legislation,” Omebeh stated.

The commissioner also disclosed that the Council approved another bill aimed at regulating the purchase, sale, transportation, possession and disposal of metal and electrical scraps across the state.

He said the proposed law is intended to combat vandalism, improve public safety and ensure better environmental protection by tightening oversight of scrap metal activities.

Beyond the proposed laws, Omebeh announced that EXCO had approved the establishment of state-owned Herbal Heritage Gardens in the three senatorial districts of Ebonyi.

He said the Initiative would be implemented by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in partnership with the Ministries of Health and Agriculture and Natural Resources to promote research, preservation and standardisation of indigenous herbal medicine.

According to him, the government will immediately begin stakeholder consultations, identify suitable sites and develop a regulatory framework in collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and relevant research institutions.

He added that within the next 90 days, a supplementary memorandum would be submitted to provide legal backing for the standardisation of herbal medicine, protection of intellectual property rights and its integration into primary healthcare services.

On infrastructure, the commissioner revealed that EXCO had directed the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to begin the legal process of terminating all abandoned 2-kilometre road contracts across the state.

He said the decision followed a review of the projects’ implementation, adding that dedicated EXCO committees had been set up in all local government areas to ensure the roads are completed before September 2026.

Omebeh further disclosed that the Commissioner for Special Projects, Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Obichukwu, has been instructed to compile a comprehensive inventory of all abandoned road projects for immediate action.

The Council also approved the proposed design, construction and operation of a 6,000-tonnes-per-day cement plant at the Nkalagu Cement Industry in partnership with Jiangsu Pengfei Group Ltd.

According to Omebeh, the project forms part of the state government’s broader strategy to revive industrial production, stimulate investment and strengthen Ebonyi’s economic growth.

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