BREAKING: Court Gives FG 7 Days Ultimatum to Fix Prices of Essential Goods and Fuel
LAGOS, Nigeria – A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the federal government to fix the prices of essential goods and fuel products in the country.
The court order was given on Wednesday, February 7, by Justice Ambose Lewis-Allagoa, following an originating motion filed and argued by human rights activist and lawyer, Femi Falana SAN.
Falana had sued the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Price Control Board for failing to regulate the prices of goods and petroleum products as required by the Price Control Act of 1977.
He said: “The respondents have abdicated their statutory duty to fix the prices of goods and petroleum products in Nigeria. As a result, the prices of goods and petroleum products are determined by market forces and profiteers to the detriment of the Nigerian people.”
He added that the failure of the respondents to fix the prices of goods and petroleum products had led to inflation, poverty, and economic hardship in the country.
The judge agreed with Falana and granted the order in his favour. He 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 ordered the federal government to fix the price of Milk, Flour, salt, sugar, bicycles and its spare parts, matches, motorcycles and its spare parts, motor vehicles and its spare parts as well as Petroleum products, which include: diesel, petrol motor spirit (PMS) and kerosene within seven days.
He also ordered the respondents to publish the fixed prices of the goods and petroleum products in the official PRISTINEGIST and in at least two national newspapers.
The court order has generated mixed reactions from Nigerians, some of whom welcomed the move as a relief from the high cost of living, while others expressed doubts about the feasibility and enforcement of the order.
