Gov Oborevwori’s Move For Rent Reduction: Between Wishful Thinking & Reality

I fault Governor Sheriff Oborevwori on his campaign for rent reduction in Delta state.

He should be advised to do what is expected. Inflation is rising unrestrained. Prices of every commodity are super high and cost of maintenance on property is super high. Dislodging of septic tanks and soakaway pits is super high. Cost of cement is super high.

Costs of building materials are super high. Cost of 100 feet by 50 feet plot of land is super high. In the past in Warri, Effurun, Ekpan a plot of 100 feet by 50 feet is one hundred and fifty thousand naira (N150,000) but as I speak a plot of land of 100 feet by 50 feet in some areas in Warri, Effurun, Ekpan and environs is selling for 60 to 70 million naira, plus cost of area boys is far going high to erect a building. Every building material inclusive of granites are high.

What I think Delta government should do is to build social houses which they should allocate to Deltans at affordable costs. Council houses are in UK and other developed countries.

The Delta State government should embark on these housing projects in all the LGAs of the state. What are council houses? Council houses also known as Social housing or public housing are usually owned by local government councils or government of the provinces/states and funded by government.

These houses are given to the public at low rents and not only civil service workers. But here in Nigeria public money is private money of politicians in power.

Johnson Ejiro, the Chief of Staff who represented Governor Oborevwori had appealed to real estate firms and landowners to lower rents in Delta state on 17th March, 2025 at the 13th annual Convention of Property World Africa Network Marketing Company in Asaba.

Oborevwori said” I would like to use this medium to appeal to real estate organisations to help in reducing the cost of rents payable on rented properties. The current skyrocketing rents are not sustainable, especially for public service workers. I urge you to apply your innovative skills to find ways to make housing more affordable”.

I align with the opinion of Dr Emmanuel Ojameruaye who said,
“Rent is a function of demand and supply which is affected by the cost of building materials. You cannot use force or moral suasion to bring down rents.

“What the Delta state governmentt should do is to embark on massive public housing construction like Lagos state government, and implement policies to reduce the cost of building homes, e.g. make land and C of O available at low cost, lower cost of approving survey and building plans, ban area boys (gbeghes) and LG officials from extorting and disturbing developers, dredge our rivers to provide cheap sharp and filling sand, establish or support building materials industries, etc.”

Nigerian politicians are damn wicked and don’t want the good of the people they are supposed to govern. In Delta state I know of ‘professional politicians’ who just glue to politicians in power to grab useless appointments that don’t add value to society.

Since 1999 till date there are those who can’t survive outside corridors of power. Money that would have been used to build infrastructures are used to pay idle politicians who are roaming offices as one useless portfolio that has no relevance to society.

DESOPADEC is another wasteful agency of government. The money budgeted for DESOPADEC to pay idle politicians is enough to build Social Houses in all the LGAs to reduce high cost of living.

I am surprised some politicians are praising Governor Oborevwori for campaigning for rent reduction in Delta. Will that reduce high rents in Delta? The statement by the governor on reduction of rent is a reckless talk.

Zik Gbemre
March 21,2025

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