Admin I Thursday, Feb. 07, 2024
IKOYI, Lagos – A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on Wednesday ordered the Federal Government to fix the prices of goods, including petroleum products within seven days.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa gave the order following a matter brought before the court by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana.
The court specifically ordered the government to fix the price of milk, flour, salt, sugar, bicycles, and their spare parts, matches, motorcycles and their spare parts, motor vehicles and their spare parts as well as petroleum products, which includes diesel, Premium Motor Spirit and kerosene.
The judge was delivering judgment in suit No FHC/L/CS/869/2023, filed by human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana, against the Price Control Board and the Attorney-General of the Federation, listed as the first and second defendants.
Falana had approached the court to determine whether by virtue of Section 4 of the Price Control Act., the first respondent 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 sought the following declaration:
“A declaration that the failure or refusal of the respondents 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,” Falana said.
At the hearing of the case on Wednesday, the plaintiff, Falana informed the court that the motion on notice was premised on Section 4 (1) of the Price Control Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
