Covered in a stream of sweat as he made for the narrow entrance
leading outside the block, Okoli Nwabueze (not real name), cursed and
grumbled angrily. He was deep in slumber by the time the fan in his
room stopped rolling that afternoon and so couldn’t make it out on time
to enjoy cool, ‘precious’ breeze. Lacking proper ventilation, electricity
supply was the only means to keep the temperature within the room
normal. Last year, when he paid N140, 000 as rent and related charges
for 12 months to move into Agboye ‘Estate’, a gigantic structure with
over 500 rooms stretching on about four plots of land on Oduntan
Street, Ketu, Lagos, this was not what he expected. The situation
leaves him deeply frustrated.
“The heat inside my room is crazy,” he said, nodding his head in
complete dejection. “There is no ventilation and so whenever there’s
power outage the place becomes very hot. This was not what I
expected when I paid for the house last year. I never knew I was
moving into a prison yard. I can’t use generator or other household
appliances even after paying so much as rent. This is really crazy,” he
fumed.
Lamentations all the way
Okoli is not the only one burning with rage in this vast and hugely
populated building – the poor and extreme conditions of living is getting
other tenants deeply concerned, too. Apart from paying N6, 000 as
monthly charges for a single room – not more than twice the size of the
space inside a commercial bus in Lagos – occupants who agreed to
speak with our correspondent after they were assured their identities
would be protected for fear of being victimised by the owner of the
house, Onamo Agboye, said they are forbidden from using power
generators, electric kettles, air conditioners or even host important social
gatherings like naming ceremonies or birthdays within the facility. They
were assured of constant electricity supply when moving in but they
soon found out that the big generator set stationed at a section of the
compound is not meant to service their interest but the comfort of the
landlord alone. To make matters worse, the only entrance leading in and
out of the compound closes at 11:00pm daily. Once the clock ticks,
nobody goes in or out anymore, they revealed. In case of an
emergency, chaos is inevitable.
“There was this day I was coming from FESTAC and I encountered
traffic around Maryland, I didn’t get to Ketu until about 11:30pm. The
security men at the gate of the house did not allow me to go in. I
explained to them that I was new and that I didn’t know about the time
of the closure but they refused to listen to my plea. I slept inside the
church opposite the house that day,” Lanre Adamolekun, another tenant
told Saturday PUNCH.
The regimented nature of the building – like a Nazi facility – has left
devastating consequences on some occasions. Injuries and heartbreaks
have come in different forms.
“My wife almost died from pains after falling into labour around 2:30am.
The security men did not open the gate for us until two hours later
because they said their boss would be mad at them for opening the
gate at such hour of the night. They saw her condition, that she was
dying but they refused to consider her pains. By the time we got to the
hospital, she had become too weak to push by herself. She had to give
birth through a caesarean section . That was the moment I decided that
the house was not a place to live,” Anthony Onyekwere told our
correspondent in a telephone conversation during the week. He has
since relocated his family to the Agric area of Ikorodu, a fast rising town
within the metropolis.
Chilling discoveries
From afar, the massive building looks like a ship sailing on the Atlantic
with different national flags flying at the top with scores of bulbs
arranged at strategic spots.
During a visit to the house during the week, our correspondent observed
that the sanitary conditions were in poor state, while hygiene was also a
big issue. In most of the blocks which are constructed only inches away
from each other thus making free flow of air almost impossible, at least
12 rooms shared a single toilet and bathroom. On the average, two
persons occupy each room, bringing the number of users of a single
toilet to 24. An official who works at the building confirmed to our
correspondent who posed as a potential tenant that there were presently
370 tenants in the house. Meaning that on the average, there are 740
adults living in the compound. This is aside children and visitors who
make frequent stopovers to their loved ones. Unhygienic as this sounds,
it is a situation that has existed for a long time and shows no signs of
improving soon.
Behind the compound is a vast swamp of stagnant sewage and dirt –
the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes and other deadly insects
that combine to inflict maximum horror on the occupants. The section is
also home to snakes, scorpions and other dangerous crawling animals.
Together, they make life for many of Agboye’s low-income earning
occupants hellish.
“We are slaves to malaria and typhoid in this place,” Yemisi Adebambo,
said. “Ask people around especially parents with children and let them
tell you how much they spend on malaria and typhoid in a month. The
mosquitoes here are the deadliest I have seen in my life, no thanks to
the swamp at the back of the building; that is their breeding home. Even
if you have mosquito nets in your room, you must buy malaria medicine
in a month, you can’t escape it. If you are not even careful, you will
meet snake or scorpion inside your room. We have killed many of them
in our block this year. Ask anybody, they will confirm what I am saying,”
the young mother of four told our correspondent.
A new notice pasted on strategic points within the facility which our
correspondent stumbled upon, now also forbids tenants from
accommodating a visitor of any kind beyond seven days without the
approval of the landlord. According to the notice, such persons would
be classified under the illegal tenant category of the management’s laws.
Others in this category include: persons living in the room of a relation
or friend who has travelled even if their rent was yet to expire; those
sharing a room without the approval of the landlord, and also persons
squatting in a room with a sitting tenant. Those under this category who
wish to escape the wrath of the management are urged to obtain a
regularisation form at N5, 000 and return with four passport photographs
to have their status changed. Defaulters, however, risk urgent ejection
and other severe consequences, according to the strong-worded
notice.
The landlord of the house, who described himself to S aturday PUNCH
as a philanthropist, said he established the place to help the masses
and that if Nigerians were like him, the country would have been a
better place to live in.
“I am a philanthropist; I do this to help the people. If others were like
me, Nigeria would have become a better place. I cannot say much for
now but come back in two days’ time (Wednesday, November 12,
2014) when I will give you three hours to interview me. Your paper will
sell so well,” he said.
But what our correspondent found at Agboye ‘estate’ is far from what
you see in an environment established by a philanthropist. Tenants are
ejected without prior notice while monthly rent is increased at will
without proper consultations with the occupants. Tenants cook by the
entrance of their rooms as there are no kitchens while the passageway
in most of the eight blocks in the premises are enveloped in darkness
day and night except of course if there is electricity supply to light up
the bulbs. In the alternative, occupants light candles to illuminate the
place.
The monthly rent for a single room in this highly populated building –
N6, 000 – is one of the most expensive in mainland Lagos, higher than
in places like Yaba, Palmgrove and even Ikeja, the state capital. In
addition to the high rent, tenants pay additional N2, 000 for electricity
and other utility bills. New tenants who come on their own are made to
pay a certain amount to a woman who acts as in-house agent. Without
‘settling’ her, your tenancy documents won’t be signed. But for those
coming through an agent outside the place, they could pay as much as
N140, 000 – about N34, 000 higher than the usual amount. In
additional, a new tenant is made to perform a mandatory ritual – present
a specified number of malt drinks and a bottle of wine to the
management of the ‘estate.’
Disturbing as it sounds, the travails of many Agboye ‘estate’ residents, a
school housing several professional institutes now converted to blocks
of residential apartments, is only a fraction of the accommodation
challenges many Lagos residents now face. Confronted with outrageous
rents and all sorts of living conditions by house owners, many of the
city’s low-income earning families and individuals are forced to accept
cheap alternatives that offer no succour in the real sense. Rather, their
troubles have been compounded in many of these places, with their
rights grossly abused by greedy house owners who ‘lord’ over their lives
in every form.
A ticking time bomb
A medical expert, Professor Oladapo Ashiru, told Saturday PUNCH that
living in a crowded house like Agboye, poses severe health risk to the
occupants. He said except government addresses the factors pushing
people to live in such environment critically, the consequences could be
harmful to the society at the end.
“If you live in a crowded house where ventilation is poor and a lot of
people have to share a single toilet and bathroom, there is a high
possibility of infection because oxygen sharing capacity is greatly
reduced. There would be poor hygiene in the environment and stress on
the bladder as a result of people waiting for each other to use the toilet.
“In such a place, there will be prevalence of malaria, diarrhoea. People
in such a place would be visiting hospitals regularly because of the risk
they are exposed to.
“The solution I think is for people to spread out to other parts of Lagos.
There is too much concentration of people inside the city but if people
spread out to other parts, the pressure would be reduced on existing
infrastructure.
“Also, government should invest in water transportation so that people
can easily move around the state. If this is done, people can live in rural
areas where there are still large expanse of land and work in the city
without crowding the city itself. The government must also develop
proper housing estates in rural areas as well to further address this
problem,” he said.
Former Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lagos, Ayobami
Makanju, a professor of psychology, told our correspondent that
occupants of highly populated houses like Agboye risk having their egos
dented. The situation, he said, could lead to deviancy and all sorts of
psychological problems if not handled properly.
“Living in houses where there are so many occupants is a big problem
for the individual’s psychological development. Every human needs their
personal space and once you are denied this, it affects you in every
way. It affects reproduction, blood pressure and the physiognomy in
general.
“The problem also leads to stress because people are forced to stay on
the queue to take their baths and also use the toilet. In the process,
some are forced to take their bath in the open at odd hours.
“But the danger of it all is that it affects your ego and psyche. If you live
in a place where the condition is not different from what you have in a
prison yard, then you could start developing negative behaviour and
begin to exhibit gangsterism traits. Places like this are the breeding
ground for all sorts of deviant behaviour, especially when you see
people who live normal lives and in conducive environments,” he said.
A civil engineer, Akin Ogunbanwo, told our correspondent that if the
pressure becomes unbearable on the structure of a crowded house like
Agboye ‘Estate’, it could lead to catastrophic consequences.
“In case the foundation is not properly piled and regular checks and
maintenance work not done to strenghten the pillars, deckings and
walls, a house with this type of pressure cannot escape disaster. It is a
matter of time before it collapses completely,” he said.
A disaster of such magnitude in this crammed and highly populated
building is best imagined.
Gory statistics
According to statistics, the gap between demand and supply in
accommodation is massive, fuelling indiscriminate rent increase by many
landlords in most parts of the country especially in big cities like Lagos.
This has also led to the emergence of many slum settlements in recent
years with families and individuals living in crowded rooms, thereby
exposing them to all sorts of diseases.
The menace of the house agents who demand excess rent and all kinds
of charges from potential tenants is another dimension to the problem.
Though the Lagos State government in 2011 promulgated a tenancy
law, restricting new tenants from paying beyond one year’s rent and six
months for existing tenants, it is still business as usual in terms of the
demands made by agents who serve as middlemen between tenants
and house owners, Saturday PUNCH discovered.
Commissioner for Housing, Bosun Jeje, said that for the tenancy law to
be effective, residents must also play their role by reporting any errant
agent to the law enforcement agents.
“It’s a law and it’s in place. If you pay, you are also a culprit. It is when
residents report such acts to us that we can make the law effective.
Residents can report to the office of the Public Defender or Ministry of
Housing and we will take it up.
“More so, residents should also note that in the law, if you pay for two
years contrary to what is stipulated, you will also face the wrath of law.
Residents have a part to play; report the person.
“On our part, we are embarking on massive constructions to address
the housing needs of Lagosians. Lagos State is a mega city, the third in
the world, and housing is always a major problem associated with a
mega city; but we are addressing it. That is why we started construction
in the senatorial districts and five divisions of the state. We are trying as
much as possible to provide enough accommodation,” he said.
The 2006 population census puts the population of Lagos at 17.55
million while the United Nations projects that the city would become the
world’s third most populous with 24.6 million inhabitants by 2015. But
experts believe that that figure is well over 25 million today with dozens
of individuals trooping into Lagos on a daily basis in search of a new
life.
According to a 2010 study by the Lagos State Ministry of Housing, over
91 per cent of the total population lives in the metropolis with a
population density of about 20, 000 persons per square kilometre in the
built-up areas of the metropolis. The occupancy ratio is 8 – 10 persons
per room with 72.5 per cent of households occupying one-room
apartment.
While the growth of the population in the metropolitan Lagos has
assumed a geometrical proportion, the provision of urban infrastructure
and housing to meet this demand is, not at commensurate level. This
has resulted in acute shortage of housing to the teeming population with
Lagos alone accounting for about five million deficit representing 31 per
cent of the estimated national housing deficit of 18 million.
The problem of inadequate housing for the citizens in Lagos is further
aggravated by the inadequate budget for housing by the government. In
2000 for example, N667m representing 4.05 per cent of N16bn budget
was earmarked for housing while N776m representing 1.42 per cent
was budgeted in 2005. Four years ago, out of the N224.6bn total
budget for the year, only N6bn representing 2.7 per cent was earmarked
for housing. This was revealed in a 2010 report by the Lagos State
Ministry of Housing. Even though the state government earmarked
N50.537 b for housing and community amenities in the 2014 budget,
much hasn’t changed in the accomodation challenge, forcing all sorts of
structures – many unfit for human habitation – to spring forth across the
metropolis.
Defeating the monster
Real estate developer, Mr. Segun Ogunshile, says the simple way out of
the housing challenges in big Nigerian cities like Lagos is for
government and the private sector to provide more affordable shelter for
the middle and lower classes in the society.
“Most players in the real estate industry are into the top end of the
market, building three-bedroom and four-bedroom apartments. Most of
those buildings are in highbrow areas like Lekki, Ikoyi, Ikeja and other
posh parts of the city. The truth is that this is not what most people in
cities like Lagos actually need or can comfortably afford.
“There are hundreds of people who need shelter in Lagos but they can’t
just afford those big houses springing forth here and there. The houses
are too expensive. So, that’s the mismatch.
“But if the real estate sector can change focus a bit and build houses
that people can afford, accommodation problem will be solved,” he
said.
The last few years has witnessed an explosion in the real estate and
construction sector across Nigeria. In Lagos and other big cities for
example, plots of lands that sold for reasonable amounts in the past,
now go for more than five times that price, forcing rents to skyrocket.
The trend has also provided a platform for quacks pretending to bridge
the gap.
But President, Building Collapse Prevention Guild, Mr. Kunle Awobodu,
say sub-standard building materials must not find a place in the real and
construction sector if the problem must be curbed.
“It is not practicable to test materials being used on several sites in the
country. However, the most reasonable approach is to tackle quality
problem from the source, that is, the manufacturers’ end,” he said.
In spite of the Lagos State government’s mega city drive, slums and
squatter settlements are still a prominent feature across most parts of
the metropolis. Like Agboye ‘estate’, schools now serve as makeshift
residential quarters while motor parks and abandoned buildings are used
for similar purposes. At the Bar Beach in Victoria Island, a posh section
of Lagos for example, dozens of homeless families and individuals sleep
in the open, enduring harsh weather conditions during day and night.

Source: www.punchng.com/news/a-jungle-in-the-city-story-of-a-500-room-house-where-tenants-live-as-prisoners/

an enterance to one of the apartments