Following an originating motion filed and argued by a human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), Justice of the Federal High Court in Lagos, Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, has ordered the Federal Government to fix the price of goods and petroleum products within seven days.
Falana had approached the court for the following: “Whether by virtue of Section 4 of the Price Control Act., the first defendant (FG) 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, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
The Court petition reportedly came as the result of the ongoing national protests over the exorbitant cost of living in the country.
Despite the demonstrations in Kano, Niger, and Osun states, the movement is gaining traction since yesterday, a new demonstration against the growing expense of living occurred in Suleja, Niger and Kogi states.
However, in an interview with media on Wednesday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated that the government is aware of the hardships Nigerians are facing and that it intends to release the country’s food reserves in order to lessen the impact that food inflation is having on people.
“The government is talking to major millers and major commodity traders, to also see what is available in their stores, to open it up, so that the government will provide some intervention and make this food available to Nigerians.”
“Food is sufficient in the nation, but because of the weakening value of the naira, the government has seen that it is being hoarded,” he added.
In addition, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), Mr Temitope Fadeshemi, in his statement during the distribution of farm inputs and empowerment materials to 250 smallholder farmers, disclosed that 88.4 million Nigerians are estimated to be living in extreme poverty.
On the other hand, he stated that the Federal Government is actively working to lower the rate of poverty in the nation through the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning in partnership with FMAFS.#Court