Following the increasing prices of goods and services and the soaring cost of living across the country, the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, has on Wednesday 7 February, given the Tinubu-led administration seven days beginning from February 7 2024 to fix the prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and other goods.
Giving the order, the trial judge, Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, specifically directed the government to fix the prices 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, including diesel, premium motor spirit, PMS, and kerosene.
In its judgment, a suit by rights activist and lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, made the order against the Price Control Board and the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF.
In a swift reaction to the judgement the federal government through the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, said that a copy of the court judgement would be studied and that necessary actions would be taken in the interest of the masses and the nation.
Reacting through his Special Adviser, Communication & Publicity, Kamarudeen Ogundele, the AGF was quoted as saying: “As soon as we have a copy of the judgement, we will study it. On the long run, we will take a decision that is in the best interest of the country. Rest assured that this government will always have the interest of the masses at heart.”
Recall that renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana had in a suit, asked the court to determine “Whether by 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.”
He had asked the court to declare 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.
While praying the court to declare 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, Falana added that it offends the provision of Section 4 of the Price Control Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The Senior Advocate had also sought for an order mandating 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 court.
Meanwhile, at the hearing of the suit, on February 7, the plaintiff, Falana informed the court that the motion on notice is premised on Section 4 (1) of the Price Control Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Additionally, he told the court that the defendants in the suit have been served with the processes since it was filed in May, 2023, but refused and failed to file any response or counter to it.
Falana, consequently charged the court to grant all the reliefs sought for, since there was no counter from the respondents.
After hearing from the lawyer and perusing through the court filed, Justice Lewis-Allagoa observed that the defendants did not file any counter to the suit after citing some plethora of authorities, held “All the reliefs contained in the motion paper are hereby granted as prayed.”
