A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State has ordered the Federal Government (FG) to fix the prices of goods such as milk, salt, sugar, spare parts for vehicles and petroleum products including diesel, Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and kerosene within 7 days. This order was granted by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa following a motion filed and argued by the applicant, Femi Falana (SAN) against the Price Control Board and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), listed as the first and second defendants.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa said, “I have heard the applicant Femi Falana in a suit no 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, there is 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.”
Speaking on the Price Control Act, the judge said, “The Act basically gave the first respondent powers to fix the prices of the wide array of commodities listed above.
“Though the price of commodities listed above is supposed to be imposed by the first respondent, the only petroleum products that are fixed to a certain amount are not being enforced.
“That the price of a bag of rice which was formerly N8,000 has risen to N45,000 in the market.
“The situation in the market is by each passing day is becoming unbearable for consumers as prices of goods kept rising daily.
“Sellers are not always sincere as they are so desperate to make excessive profits at the expense of the buyers.
“Food prices which human beings should not deprived of are on the high side due to lack of price fixing by the first defendant. And that buyers are at the receiving end when the prices of goods are increased as they tend to suffer for it more.”
