Ebonyi Assembly passes bill regulating scrap trade, rents, agent fees

Our Reporter 

The Ebonyi State House of Assembly has passed legislation regulating scrap trading, house rents and estate agent fees in the state to curb vandalism and exploitation in the housing sector.

The bill, titled “Ebonyi State Sale of Scraps, House Rent and Agent Fees Regulation Law, 2026,” was passed at Wednesday’s plenary presided over by the Speaker, Moses Odunwa.

The legislation, which requires the assent of Governor Francis Nwifuru to become law, prohibits the purchase, sale, possession, transportation or disposal of metal and electrical scraps except by licensed dealers operating under approved regulations.

Violators face up to two years’ imprisonment or a fine of ₦500,000.

The law also requires landlords to comply with standard rents prescribed by the governor and criminalises obtaining accommodation through fraud, misrepresentation or concealment of material facts, with offenders liable to up to two years’ imprisonment.

It further caps estate agents’ fees at two per cent of the gross value of a property transaction and mandates all estate agents operating in the state capital to register with the Ministry of Capital City.

Presenting the bill, the House Leader, Kingsley Ikoro, said it would help curb vandalism, environmental degradation and exploitative practices in the housing sector.

Contributing to the debate, lawmakers including Victor Nwoke, Aloysius Nwodo, Oluchukwu Ezeali, Friday Ogbuewu and Celestine Ogba described the legislation as timely, particularly in addressing scrap theft and arbitrary rent increases.

The Speaker said scrap dealers had caused considerable damage to society, expressing optimism that the law, if assented to, would enhance public safety and restore sanity to property transactions.

The bill was considered clause by clause by the Committee of the Whole, amended to correct identified grammatical errors and unanimously passed.

Meanwhile, the Assembly approved the Auditor-General’s report on the consolidated financial statements of the Ebonyi State Government for the year ended December 31, 2025, which stated that the accounts conformed with accepted accounting principles.

The lawmakers also screened and confirmed nine nominees appointed by the governor as coordinators and members of the management committee of the Amasiri Development Centre in Afikpo Local Government Area following the reinstatement of the development centre.