An Akure landlord, Prince Oladipo Faloye, has threatened to drag the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) before the court for allegedly refusing to pay rent and for the mismanagement and misuse of his property.
Faloye, who expressed disappointment over the attitude of NHIA officials while vacating the property, said there was no official handover, adding that the property had been vandalised.
In a letter written by his lawyer, Oluowho Vincent Enejeta & Co., to the Director-General of NHIA, Faloye explained that the property was leased to the agency after its completion in July 2013, and the NHIA occupied it for ten years.
He stated that the NHIA had informed him of its intent to vacate the property upon the expiry of its tenancy on 31st July 2023 but expressed disappointment over the agency’s failure to adhere to the tenancy agreement.
According to the lawyer, officials of the agency and the landlord jointly inspected the property, where it was discovered that some items were destroyed while others were missing.
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The lawyer stated that after the joint inspection by NHIA and the landlord’s representative on 21st July 2023, it was found that: “All the electrical bulbs across the three floors, 80 in total, were stolen and carted away.
“All the doors were damaged, with keys either broken, locked, or lost. In essence, no door was left undamaged. All the toilets were badly misused, with covers damaged and removed.
“The illuminating casement glass along the staircase was broken, and all the burglary-proof installations, made of strong and thick iron steel, were removed and carted away. The painted walls inside the building, untouched since your branch began using it ten years ago, were stained and dirty, requiring renovation and repainting, which were left undone.”
He added that, apart from these damages, the agency overstayed its tenancy by four months and refused to pay the rent, despite several letters written to the authorities in Akure, which received no positive response.
The lawyer further stated that the landlord had also written to the Director-General of NHIA in Abuja to inform him of the situation, but there was no response, while the outstanding four months’ rent and renovation costs stood at N2.5 million.
He said, “We are looking forward to receiving the outstanding three or four months’ rent for the period NHIA has overstayed. In addition, the renovation expenses amount to N5 million.”
However, the NHIA, in one of its responses to Faloye through his lawyer, stated: “In the termination of this agreement, the tenant agrees to deliver up the said property together with the fittings and fixtures to the landlord in good and tenantable condition, reasonable wear and tear excepted.”
The agency further stated: “We believe that painting the inside of the offices, which you are requesting us to do, falls under the purview of ‘reasonable wear and tear’.”
“We also wish to inform you that all electric sockets and lamp holders are working perfectly and in good shape. Door key locks are functional, and any faulty ones will be repaired.
“All electricity bills have been paid promptly, and regular plumbing repairs have been carried out.
“Regarding the issue of repositioning the seven sharp iron pipes with chains erected by the landlord to fence off non-users from the premises, these were removed to enable staff to park their cars, as there is insufficient parking space, a matter we have raised with the landlord on multiple occasions.”
However, NHIA officials remained silent on the payment of the three or four months outstanding rent demanded by the landlord for overstaying in the property.
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