Court orders FG to fix prices of goods, petroleum products within 7 days
A Federal High Court, sitting at Ikoyi, Lagos has ordered the federal government to fix the prices of goods and petroleum products within 7 days.
Justice Ambose Lewis-Allagoa granted the order on Wednesday, February 7, while delivering judgment in a suit No FHC/L/CS/869/2023, filed and argued by human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana SAN, against the Price Control Board and the Attorney-General of the Federation, listed as the first and second defendants.
What Falana was seeking
Falana (SAN) had approached the court for the followings:
- “whether by virtue of Section 4 of the Price Control Act., the first defendant is carrying out its duty to impose a price on any goods that are of the kind specified in the First Schedule to the Price Control Act.
- “A declaration that by virtue of Section 4 of the Price Control Act Cap, the defendants are under a legal obligation to fix the prices of bicycles and spare parts; flour; matches; milk; motorcycles and spare parts; motor vehicles and spare parts; salt; sugar and petroleum products including diesel, petrol motor spirit and kerosene.
- “A declaration that the failure or refusal of the Defendants to fix the prices of bicycles and spare parts; flour; matches; milk; motorcycles and spare parts; motor vehicles and spare parts; salt; sugar and petroleum products including diesel, petrol motor spirit and kerosene is illegal as it offends the provision of Section 4 of the Price Control Act, Cap…., Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
- “An order directing the defendants to fix the prices of bicycles and spare parts; flour; matches; milk; motorcycles and spare parts; motor vehicles and spare parts; salt; sugar and petroleum products including diesel, petrol motor spirit and kerosene not later than 7 days after the delivery of the Judgment of this Honourable Court.”
The order from the judge
Justice Lewis-Allagoa, after listening to Falana’s submission, observed that the respondents did not file any counter to the suit.
The judge citied decided cases and held that, “all the reliefs contained in the motion paper are hereby granted as prayed.”
The judge said,
- “I have had the applicant Femi Falana in a suit no San,FHC/L/CS/869/2023 and I have also discovered that despite the service of the Originating motion on the respondents namely Attorney-General of the Federation and the Price Control Board, no opposition to it by way of counter affidavit, which is law that all the facts deposed in the affidavit attached to the originating motion are all deemed admitted.
- “Consequently, all prayers that are sought for in the motion papers are hereby granted as prayed.”
The judge specifically ordered the Nigerian government to fix the price of Milk, Flour, salt, sugar, bicycles and it’s spare parts, matches, motorcycles and its spare parts, motor vehicles and it’s spare parts as well as Petroleum products, which include: diesel, petrol motor spirit (PMS) and kerosene.
