Court Orders Federal Government to Fix Prices of Goods within Seven Days
A Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, has ordered the federal government to fix the prices of goods and petroleum products, within seven days.
The court specifically ordered the immediate control of prices of milk, sugar, flour, sugar, bicycles, and their spare parts, as well as, petroleum products, vehicles, and spare parts.
Justice Ambrose Lewis issued the order on Tuesday while ruling on an application filed by a lawyer, Femi Falana, granted all the reliefs he sought.
Falana said he based his application for the control of prices on the Price Control Act of 2004.
The senior advocate therefore sought the following claims/reliefs from the court.
A declaration that by 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.
Read Also:
House of Reps Receives 40 Bills, Ahead Of Fresh Constitutional Amendments
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.
After listening to the senior advocate today, Justice Lewis-Allagoa said, I have heard the applicant, Femi Falana 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, there’s no opposition to it by way of a counter affidavit, which in law means 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 then ordered the Nigerian 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 include: diesel, petrol motor spirit (PMS) and kerosene.
