How Efab estate milks residents

The beautiful flowers at the entrance of the estate give a visitor a strong feeling of good home and comfort. In fact, the entrance exudes a welcoming ambience.But shortly after entering the place, one begins to feel differently. The main road is replete with pot holes. Even in this rainy season, if there is no […]

The beautiful flowers at the entrance of the estate give a visitor a strong feeling of good home and comfort. In fact, the entrance exudes a welcoming ambience.
But shortly after entering the place, one begins to feel differently. The main road is replete with pot holes. Even in this rainy season, if there is no downpour, dust fills the air as motorists drive past.
Upon driving on the un-tarred road farther into the place, it is the same situation.
Residents therefore lament the situation saying their expectations are not being met by the facility management firm in charge of the estate. The residents who described the charges they pay as extortion said various sums of money are taken from them yearly under different names.
They identified the charges as coming under security, water supply, electrical repairs and maintenance and prompt waste disposal. They claimed a tenant who occupies a multi-room flat is made to pay facility fee of N50,000 yearly while those who occupy a single room apartment pay N18,000.
According to them, a three-bedroom flat costs N1.5 million per annum as rent; a two-bedroom flat costs N1 million; one-bedroom flat costs between N500,000 and N600,000. A single-room with bathroom and toilet costs between N250,000 and N300,000.
Many complained that after paying as much as this for yearly rent, they hardly enjoy good facilities and services. One of the residents, Mr Mahmud Omale lamented that the estate has been without pipe water supply for five months and there is no information on when water will come.
Omale who said that the security situation in the estate is commendable, pointed at few lapses which he believes if attended to will make a great difference. He complained about the bad state of roads in the estate.
Another resident, Mr George Mbu said, “They charge us facility fee which covers security, sanitation/waste disposal, water supply, electrical maintenance, thus giving us hope that these services will be provided. As you can see, this place is littered with waste falling off from waste cans which are filled to the brim”.
Our reporter who visited the estate mid last week observed that several waste cans were filled but were left to be feasted upon by flies, rodents and reptiles. Visitors at certain points had to cover their noses with their palms.
In the words of Maureen Akpan, another resident, “Recently, they fixed some street lights in the estate without providing additional transformers to power them. This leads to constant breakdown of the transformers and attendant power outage. This puts us in darkness and untold hardship.”
Akpan also complained that MTN network quickly gets poor as soon as one steps into the Efab Estate’s vicinity. “I wonder how a resident in an estate located in a city like Abuja cannot have access to MTN service. This compels some of us to make our phone calls before getting home. The situation is frustrating and worrisome,” she lamented.
A property owner within the estate who spoke on condition of anonymity, however, had a contrary opinion, heaping part of the blame on tenants who fail to show commitment to their obligations, such as payment of fees but still expect the property managers to provide sufficient services. “Where do you expect such money to come from, to run the estate to a perfect standard when some residents do not comply when it comes to paying their fees?” she wondered.  
But pointing at one of the deplorable roads, the middle-aged woman said, “The developer has never kept this road in order”. She said waste evacuation is not neglected, saying that waste is disposed weekly.
She said they have not been served notice for payment of facility fee since last year, arguing that a tenant occupying a flat like hers usually pays N36,000 yearly and not more.
The residents also complained that authorities from Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), have recently introduced payment of tenement rate of N20,000 per house. According to them, this was made known to them on Tuesday, 13th August, 2013.  
When contacted on phone, an AMAC official who sought anonymity confirmed that Efab Estate residents had been served notice for payment of tenement rate but said it is a general rule allowed by the law which is not peculiar to Efab Estate residents.  
According to him, it might be strange to the residents because this is the first time such demand is being made on them. “Occupants of different categories of apartments pay different rates. The amount to be paid by any occupant is determined by the category of apartment the occupant holds. Tenement rate is paid per occupant, not per resident,” he said.
“Duplex occupants are expected to pay N20,000 which is the highest rate while others vary depending on the category of the apartment. The least charge as tenement rate is N10,000, anyway”, he said.  
All attempts to speak with the facility manager of Efab Estate, IOU Consults Nigeria Ltd were unsuccessful as our reporter could not meet him in his office. Also, several phone calls put on his mobile phone number were not answered. Similarly, a text message sent to his phone requesting his response was not replied.