By CHIDI NWEKE

Some residents of Ebonyi have expressed mixed reactions to the passage of a bill by the House of Assembly seeking to regulate scrap trade, house rents and agency fees.

The stakeholders, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abakaliki, said the proposed legislation would help sanitise the affected sectors if properly implemented and enforced.

A tenant, Mr Dennis Oyibe, welcomed the proposed regulation of rents and agency fees, saying it would protect tenants from excessive charges and arbitrary increases in house rents.

Oyibe urged the state government to ensure that the implementation of the law would be fair to both landlords and tenants, while providing effective mechanisms for resolving disputes.

Another resident, Mr Anderson Ukele, said the regulation of agency fees would reduce the financial burden on people searching for accommodation, particularly low-income earners who often pay multiple charges before securing houses.

A landlady, Mrs Onyekachi Chukwu, urged the government to consult property owners before implementing the provisions of the law, saying landlords also faced rising costs of building materials, maintenance and other expenses.

Chukwu said reasonable regulation would be acceptable if it took into account prevailing economic realities and protected landlords from unnecessary restrictions.

An estate agent, Mr Simon Orugbala, called for clarity on the proposed agency fees, saying proper guidelines would help distinguish genuine estate practitioners from individuals who exploit prospective tenants.

He urged the government to engage estate agents and other stakeholders in the implementation process to ensure that the law achieved its intended objectives.

A scrap dealer, Mr Oroke Oken, said regulation of the scrap trade would help address concerns over the activities of unscrupulous operators, but urged the government to avoid policies that could make legitimate businesses difficult to operate.

Oken appealed for registration and licensing procedures that would be simple and affordable for genuine scrap dealers.

Another scrap dealer, Mr kenechukwu Oken, said effective regulation could improve the image of the business and prevent the activities of criminal elements who might use scrap dealing as a cover to dispose of stolen materials. (NAN)

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