Group gives Osun govt seven-day ultimatum to address housing exploitation

The Youth Assembly of Nigeria (YAN), Osun State Chapter, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Ademola Adeleke-led State Government to address tenants’ exploitation by house agents and landlords.

Addressing newsmen in Osogbo on Tuesday, Fatomi Hammed, the Speaker of YAN, threatened that If the Government failed to take action within the given timeframe, the Assembly would lead the biggest peaceful protest in the State’s history, which according to him would be a call to Government, a march for justice, and a cry for accountability.

Hammed cited instances of house agents demanding exorbitant inspection fees, collecting advance payments only to disappear or deny access to the property, and inflating the cost of accommodation.

According to him, the Government has been aware of the issue for far too long, but no meaningful action has been taken.

He said, “Our Assembly, in our duty as the voice of the youth constituency, took several proactive civil and diplomatic steps within our power to address this issue. We made and submitted several appeals to both the Osun State Government and the State House of Assembly, urging them for swift intervention to implement solutions that will curb the excessiveness of these agents and landlords, create a redress mechanism for aggrieved tenants, and ensure strict compliance with rules and protection of the people’s right for fair and affordable shelter.

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“Till this very moment, no meaningful action has been taken. No acknowledgment. No engagement initiated. No official response.”

The youth leader who described the silence of the Government as unacceptable and disheartening, said suxh an action sent a dangerous message, that the voices of the people, particularly the youths who form the largest and most dynamic demography in this state, could be ignored.

He added, “We are not making impossible demands. We are not attacking the government. We are not fighting the leadership of His Excellency, Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke. On the contrary, we commend the administration’s many achievements, particularly in infrastructure and youth inclusion.

“However, the issue of housing and the exploitation of citizens by house agents is crippling the social and economic fabric of the state, and if left unchecked, it will frustrate investments, drive talent away, and undermine the developmental goals of this government. Therefore, we are only calling on the government to do what is right and urgent..”