High rents have continued to give workers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sleepless nights, with many saying they that are frustrated.
Some of the workers, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday, complained of pains and psychological burden associated with the payment of exorbitant house rents in the territory.
Mr Akubor Yahyah, a civil servant who resides in Kubwa, a satellite town in the FCT, told NAN that he paid about N400,000 for his one-bedroom flat.
He said that failure to pay before expiry of his rent would mean that the landlord or the agent would give the house to another person willing to pay two years rent.
He called on the Federal Government to intervene in the matter by putting in place a rent control policy to check the excesses of landlords.
Mr Muhammed Ahmed, a resident of Wuse 2 and a civil servant, said that he paid N1.3 million for his two-bedroom flat.
He said that the rent was N800,000 in 2010 but it was increased in December, stressing that the extra money was a burden.
Ahmed, a father of fou, noted that as a civil servant, the heavy rent, school fees and other necessities had made it difficult for him to have savings.
Mrs Precious Akingbade, a single mother of two, told NAN that she was forced to pack to Keffi, in Nasarawa Sttae, because she could no longer pay for her one-bedroom flat at Wuye.
Akingbade, who works at one of the federal parastatal agencies, said she was paying N750,000? before it was increased to N1.5 million, forcing her to move to the neighbouring state.
“I was paying N750,000 when the agent suddenly told us that the landlord has increased the rent to N1.5 million.
“With two kids to cater for in this kind of expensive place, I have to move to Keffi, Nasarawa State, where life is cheaper.
“I plead with government to find solution to this Shylock landlords and their agents in Abuja.’’
Miss Zainab Momoh, a newly-employed civil servant, urged the government to review its housing policy.
“ I just finished my national youth service and I got employment where l served and was posted to the FCT.
“Now, am not sure l can cope with the house rent here with my salary unless they want me to steal.
“How can anyone be paying N250,000 thousand for a single room in a place a like Kuje where there are no social amenities.
“It is so frustrating to see few people live well while others suffer because they don’t have money; it’s not as if one is not working.’’
Momoh said she was considering a transfer back to her state where things are a lot cheaper.
She appealed to the government to review the monetisation programme so that civil servant within the FCT could enjoy a decent home.
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