By Onwukwe Ezeru,
Umuahia
The Federal Information Centre in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, was on Wednesday sealed on the order of an Umuahia Magistrate’s Court over non-payment of two years arrears of rent, totaling N1.8 million.
Chief Magistrate, I. S. Nwulu, who gave the order, directed the centre to “deliver up the three-bedroom flat with appurtenances on or before Feb. 28.”
Nwulu further ordered the centre to pay N10,000 cost to the landlord of the building, located on No. 4 Azikiwe Road, Umuahia, Mr Adizua Okoroafor.
He said that the plaintiff tendered legal documents, including letters of administration, dated October 10, 2010, power of attorney, tenancy agreement and notice of rent increment to prove that the centre had defaulted in rent payments.
The magistrate also pointed out that the defendant failed to be present in court to cross-examine the two witnesses for the plaintiffs, when they appeared on October 19, 2017 and November 30, 2017, respectively.
Messrs Edna Nkoro, the Head of the centre, located on the second floor of the two-storey building, said that she had handed over the keys to the apartment to the landlord.
Nkoro said that “all the office equipment and furniture are intact,” adding that the workers had been made to go into “forced leave”.
She further explained that she had forwarded a situation report to the headquarters of the ministry for necessary action.
Our correspondent learnt that the landlord insisted that the money must be paid before he would allow the evacuation of the office equipment.
