Scoop: Occupants accuse NPFL of biased sales of NNPC Housing Estate Ekpan-Warri, compared to Kaduna Housing Estate

Occupants of NNPC Housing Estate Ekpan-Warri in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, who spoke to Fresh Angle International, Wednesday September 27, on condition of anonymity, have accused the NNPC Pension Fund Limited, NPFL of biased sales of NNPC Housing Estate Ekpan- Warri, alleging that the prices houses are being sold in the NNPC Housing Estate Ekpan- Warri, are higher compared to the Kaduna Housing Estate, even though the apartments in Kaduna Housing Estate are newer.

According to them, the unfair sales of NNPC Housing Estate Ekpan- Warri, is purportedly being carried out by Stallion Property Development Company (SPDC) on behalf of NNPC Pension Fund Limited, NPFL.

The aggrieved occupants of NNPC Housing Estate Ekpan-Warri, who called for the quick intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori and Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, gave graphic details of the huge differences between the prices of bungalows at the NNPC Housing Estate, Ekpan-Warri and the Kaduna Housing Estate.

They stated: “Our call for intervention and rescue has become very necessary as SPDC–NPFL are destroying the essence of the Estate, thereby making it uninhabitable and further threatening to quit those who cannot afford to pay the exorbitant prices for the which the houses are being sold. This might lead to violence that is why we are kindly appealing to the above listed for intervention before any violence erupts.

“NNPC Housing Estate Ekpan-Warri in Uvwie LGA, Delta State, was built in 1976, to house the workers of NNPC Refinery Warri, most especially the on-call workers. In 1978 when the Warri Refinery became operational, all staff staying in the Housing Estate, were not paid their housing allowance, while others staying outside received their housing allowance. This continued until 2004 when NNPC decided to commercialize the Housing Estate and handed it over to NPFL to manage.

“Rents were fixed for each category of houses and none operation staff, who could afford the rent started moving in. It is pertinent to mention and it is a verifiable fact that since the Housing Estate became commercialized 2004 till date, NPFL has been collecting rents and never carried out any maintenance of the houses the Estate. Over the years, occupants have maintained their apartments with their personal funds apart from paying their annual rents and service charges for utilities such as security, light, water and general maintenance of the estate, etc. The present look of the Estate is as a result of the maintenance work carried out in the Estate by the occupants.  

“To our surprise on the 27^th December, 2021, all occupants received emails from SPDC which states “The Management of NNPC Pension Fund Limited (NPFL) has approved the disposal of the NNPC Housing Complex Ekpan, Warri, which is being handled by Stallion Property and Development Company Limited (SPDC, a subsidiary of NPFL). We have created an account for you on the SPDC website: https://www.stallionprox.com and have issued a coupon that will aid you in the booking of your property as displayed. All interested occupants are required to book/reserve their property. As a prerequisite to generate the Provisional Offer Letter, subscribers are required to pay a minimum of 50% of the property value as first installment, along with 10% (Admin and Legal charges)”.

“This was how we knew that the Management of NNPC Pension Fund Limited (NPFL) commenced sales of the houses we occupy in the Estate. Upon generating the  Provisional Offer Letter from their website, we found that the mode and terms of  payment and values of the houses were unilaterally and arbitrarily fixed very outrageous, unfair, unreasonable, unprecedented and contrary to the sales that was carried out in Kaduna Housing Estate and also contrary  to the prevailing  market  prices  and  the  economic  realities of  Nigeria and it is a calculated attempt to deprive many, especially the retirees who have stayed there for about 45 years, paying their rents and maintaining  their apartments themselves.

“For the purpose of clarity the values of Kaduna Housing Estate compared with Housing Estate are as tabulated below.

“CRUX OF THE ISSUE

Why we are agitated and require your kind intervention the manner at which the sales, are being carried in NNPC Housing Estate Ekpan as against NNPC Kaduna Housing Estate.

“The space within the confinement of NNPC Kaduna Housing Estate or the open spaces, were not sold. The confined or open spaces contain the underground water distribution network system, used to distributed water to all the houses in the Estate. It also contains the sewage system that moves human waste to the collection center for treatment. Under the ground in the open spaces, is electrical wiring system that distributes electricity to all the buildings in the Estate.

“UNDERGROUND UTILITY FACILITIES SYSTEM: In the NNPC Housing Estate Ekpan, same utility facilities are also under the ground in the open space. Also included underground are Gas Pipeline that carry gas to houses of occupants. SPDC undermined these facts, despite the fact that their attention was called to it. They argued that not all the open spaces are containing utility facilities for sale and people have started buying and paying millions of naira. The question is why did you not sale the open spaces in NNPC Kaduna Housing Estate. As we write people have started buying the marked open spaces, paying millions of naira. The serious issue is when they start to build, they will disrupt the underground utility system. If it happens, who fixes it. As we write, someone is building on a gas pipeline. That is the right of way for the gas line belonging to the Nigerian Gas Limited in the Estate. SPDC knows, but they a silent about it, because they have collected the money.    

“UNDERGROUND WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM: When the new buildings start to spring up, they are all going to depend on the existing Water Supply System, which was meant for the original houses in the Estate. Definitely the system will not cope. The answer is for SPDC to expand the capacity of the present Water Supply System, by building a new one alongside the 45-year old existing Water Supply System, but they refused to listen.

“UNDERGROUND ELECTRICITY SUPPLY SYSTEM: When the new buildings start to spring up, they are all going to depend on the existing Electricity Supply System which was meant for the original houses in the Estate. Definitely the system will not cope. The answer is for SPDC to buy a new Power Transformer with the rating that will accommodate the new houses that will be coming up to support the 45 years old existing Electricity Supply System.

“THE UNDERGROUND SEWAGE SYSTEM: The underground sewage system is bad. The system stopped working since 2019. Report made to the Management of NNPC Pension Fund Limited (NPFL) to come and fix the system, fell on deaf ears. The pipes under the lifting station are all caked. So no human waste is moving. What occupants are doing especially in the Blocks of Flats, is to connect their sewage system to the gutter. As I write, the whole Estate is oozing.

Picture of a block connecting swage to a field at the NNPC Housing Estate Ekpan-Warri  

“SALES OF CLUB HOUSE AND RECREATION GROUNDS: As we write, they have sold the Staff Club in the Estate. The Club with its facilities, was built with contribution from staff, which was called dues. Beside the Club, is a small Shopping Mall built with staff contribution. They have sold the Staff Club to an outsider. This did not happen in Kaduna Estate. The small Shopping Mall has been sold. The football Filed was marked out to be sold, but when some youth playing on the field reacted, they carried their equipment and left. They are planning to sell the Squash and Table Tennis Courts as well as the school in the estate. The open spaces near the Church, where members pack their cars, have been marked for sales. The space in-between houses, are also marked for sale. This is no lie or tell stories come and see. If we may ask can there be some discretion in these sales? Is it every corner of this Estate that is to be sold? This is just a provocative move so as to make us to react violently so as to accuse us of Niger Delta Restiveness.       

“ROAD IN THE ESTATE BEING DISTORTED: When this Estate was build, there was no plan for expansion. It was built like those estates you fine in ITALY, AMERICA, etc at the time it was built. If NPFL and SPDC want to expand the Estate, across the road opposite the Estate, where Mechanics are using in NNPC land, let them go and build houses there. As we write, the road in the Estate, which we have been managing for 45 years now, are getting destroyed by the big tippers bringing sand into the Estate for the new developers. This is very said.  

“THE SALES OF THE MAINTENANCE BUILDING: The maintenance building is where repairs are carried out. The Committee Members formed by the occupants, who run the Estate on behalf of the occupants, when it was abandoned by NPFL, has its Office in the maintenance building. When occupants have issues to settle, they go there to meet with the Admin Officer, working in the Occupants’ Committee. The security agencies, the Police and the Army protecting the Estate, are housed in the maintenance building. As we write, SPDC has sold the place to an outsider and has quitted everyone from the property.

The Police and the Army are no longer there.  We don’t know where SPDC want them to stay. Admin Officer is still there, because the buyer has not given him notice to move yet. SPDC would have been housed there in the maintenance building if they had not sold the place. As we write, their office is in Shell Housing Edjeba – Warri, a few distance from the Ekpan Housing Estate. Paying for Office rent when they have place in the Ekpan Housing Estate, where they would have stayed for free. What a shame.             

“THREAT TO BUY OR BE QUITTED: As we write, some that have bought have succumbed to the threat of SPDC to pay or be quitted. Some had to sell to outsiders, who are SPDC buyers and collect some change to pack out. Is this right? This is humiliation for a man who stayed there all his life. Instead of owning the property, he is been humiliated out. This is what SPDC is doing here. 

“INFORMATION

The buildings are dilapidated, having been built over forty five (45) years ago, compared to the estate in Kaduna, which is newer. Kaduna state, is in the State Capital and so should attract a higher value, but its value is lower and Ekpan Estate is higher, which is indefensible. In view of this, at worst, the valuation procedure used in Kaduna should apply to the Ekpan Estate, because a precedent had been set by SPDC. A retiree staying in the Ekpan Estate who retired in 2013 for example, if he or she should add up all his or her pension, cannot pay 12 million for an apartment, except he or she stole the money. 

“OUR PRAYERS

I.             We want SPDC revoke the sales of the maintenance building.

2.           The sales of Staff Club House and Staff Shopping Mall, should be revoked. They are not the property of NPFL or NNPC.

3.            We want them to stop selling the Squash and Lawn Tennis Court, Football Field

4.            We want them to stop selling the open spaces, containing the underground utility system because those spaces are not free. They have occupants underground. They did not sell open spaces in Kaduna Housing Estate.

5.            It they must go ahead to sell, then the underground utility system and the sewage system, should be fixed to stop the stench in the Estate, since sewage system have been directed to the fields and gutters.

6.            The prices of the houses should be in accordance with Kaduna value or less.

7.            SPDC should stop threatening quite notice of occupants, who cannot buy in accordance with SPDC term, in order to bring in outsiders who did not serve NNPC to buy the houses. Occupants can buy if given long time to pay.

 8.           SPDC should recognize and work with the Occupants’ Committee, instead of coming in with Soldiers and do all the wrong things to avoid being challenge.”        

×