by Quinton Alomp – EM TV, Port Moresby
Issues surrounding National Housing Corporation’s (NHC) tenancy form agreement has surfaced after Managing Director, John Dege claimed his signature must be on it before a new tenant occupies a house.
However, that tenancy form requires only the new tenant and the NHC estate officer’s signatures.
In a media statement, Mr Dege said he was the duly authorised signatory to the tenancy form.
This now raises questions whether the NHC is now using a new template.
Last month, Mr Dege ordered the eviction of four tenants at Tokarara flats, but in less than a week, issued another instruction for the old tenants to reoccupy the flats.
But the new tenants claim they formally signed the tenancy form witnessed by the estate officer and were issued the keys to the flats.
Dege claimed he was poorly advised and it was not him signing the tenancy form.
“The new tenancy agreement for the new tenants were signed by unauthorised officers and never signed by me as the duly authorised signatory,” he said.
“There is another lot of flats occupied by staff of the National Planning and Finance and Treasury Departments in the vicinity. Those two departments owe us over K1.2 million in rental arrears and I was of the opinion that I was signing eviction for occupants of those flats,” Dege explained.
But new tenants, Thomas and Philomena Marinae, say Dege’s claims must be justified. They said the formal signatures normally signed on the tenancy form are the tenant and the estate officer and does not require the managing director.
Philomena says the managing director must not find reasons to justify his reverse decision, however must immediately meet with the old and new tenants and find a win-win solution.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=lsrzDgthx5Y%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
