The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos Wednesday ordered the Federal Government of Nigeria to fix the price of goods and petroleum products within seven days.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa 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, including diesel, petrol motor spirit (PMS) and kerosene.
The judge made the order while delivering judgment in Suit FHC/L/CS/869/2023 filed by activist-lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), against the Price Control Board (PCB) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
Falana had approached the court for the following: “Whether by virtue of Section 4 of the Price Control Act., the first defendant (PCB) 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 seven days after the delivery of the Judgment of this Honourable Court.”
At the hearing of the suit on Wednesday, Falana (SAN) informed the court that the motion on notice was premised on Section 4 (1) of the Price Control Act, 2004.
He also told the court that the defendants had been served with the processes since it was filed in May 2023, but refused and failed to file any response or counter to it.
He prayed the court to grant all the reliefs.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa held: “All the reliefs contained in the motion paper are hereby granted as prayed.”
An affidavit in support of Falana’s motion deposed to by a lawyer in his chambers, Taiwo E. Olawanle, averred that the Price Control Board was established by the Price Control Act, and is saddled with the responsibility to fix a price on goods to stabilize the general price level, prevention of hoarding of goods, protection of customers from exorbitant prices, among others. The second defendant is the Chief Law Officer of the country.
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