The Ebonyi State House of Assembly has passed a landmark executive bill aimed at regulating the trade of metal and electrical scraps, standardising residential rent, and capping property agency fees across the state.

Presided over by the Speaker, Moses Odunwa, during Tuesday’s plenary at the Assembly Complex on Nkaliki Road, the law, cited as the Ebonyi State Sale of Scraps, House Rent, and Agent Fees Regulation Law 2026, came into effect immediately upon passage on August 11, 2026.

The legislation establishes strict regulatory frameworks to curb public property vandalism, checkmate environmental degradation, and eliminate exploitative practices within Ebonyi’s real estate market.

Some provisions of the law state that unlicensed buying, selling, possession, transportation, or disposal of metal and electrical scraps is now strictly prohibited. Violators face up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine not exceeding N500,000, or both.

It states that standard rent tariffs prescribed by Governor Francis Nwifuru will govern applicable housing categories; landlords are legally barred from demanding rates exceeding the prescribed caps. Furthermore, landlords who obtain possession orders through fraud, misrepresentation, or concealment of facts face up to two years’ imprisonment.

The legislation indicated that agency fees for real estate transactions are now capped at a maximum of 2% of the gross transaction value for both professional and non-professional agents.

To enforce transparency and accountability, all estate agents operating within the capital city must register with the Ministry of the Capital City.

Presenting the merits of the executive bill, Leader of the House Kingsley Ikoro urged his colleagues to give the measure swift passage, emphasising its role in safeguarding public infrastructure and protecting vulnerable tenants.

Echoing these sentiments, several lawmakers voiced strong support during deliberations: Victor Nwoke (Abakaliki North), Nwodo Nwodo (Ebonyi North West), Oluchukwu Ukie Ezeali (Afikpo East), Friday Ogbuewu (Ezza South), Celestine Ogba (Onicha East)

The lawmakers described the legislation as a timely intervention against the surge in municipal scrap theft and arbitrary rent hikes by speculative landlords.

Speaking shortly after the bill passed its third reading following a clause-by-clause consideration in the Committee of the Whole, Speaker Moses Odunwa remarked, “Scrap dealers have shown a brazen lack of restraint, causing widespread havoc to critical public infrastructure and private property. This law restores sanity to our property market and prioritises overall public safety.”

In other legislative business, the House considered and formally adopted the Auditor-General’s Report on the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Ebonyi State Government for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, confirming its alignment with standard accounting principles.

Additionally, the Assembly screened and confirmed nine nominees presented by Governor Nwifuru to serve as Coordinator and Management Committee members for the Amasiri Development Centre in the Afikpo Local Government Area. The appointments follow the state government’s official reinstatement of the development centre. (Channels TV)