The Federal Excessive Courtroom in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the Federal Authorities to repair the costs of products and petroleum merchandise inside seven days.
Decide Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa particularly ordered the federal government to repair the worth of milk, flour, salt, sugar, bicycles and spare elements thereof, matches, bikes and spare elements thereof, motor autos and spare elements thereof, in addition to petroleum merchandise. consists of diesel, Premium Motor Spirit and kerosene.
The decide gave the order whereas ruling in a lawsuit No. FHC/L/CS/869/2023, filed by human rights activist Mr. Femi Falana, towards the Value Management Board and the Legal professional Basic of the Federation, listed as the primary and second defendants.
Falana had approached the court docket to find out whether or not the primary defendant is discharging its obligation underneath Part 4 of the Value Management Act to impose a value on all items that are of the sort specified within the First Schedule to the Value Management Act. .
“An announcement that the shortcoming or refusal of the respondents to repair the costs of bicycles and spare elements; flour; matches; milk; bikes and spare elements; motor autos and spare elements; salty; sugar and petroleum merchandise together with diesel, petrol and kerosene are unlawful as it’s opposite to the provisions of Part 4 of the Value Management Act, Cap., Legal guidelines of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004,” Falana mentioned.
Throughout the listening to of the case on Wednesday, plaintiff Falana knowledgeable the court docket that the appliance for termination was based mostly on Part 4 (1) of the Value Management Act, Legal guidelines of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
He additionally instructed the court docket that the suspects within the case have undergone the trials since its submitting in Could 2023, however he refused and did not file any response or objection.
Falana, subsequently, urged the court docket to grant all of the requested damages as there isn’t a protection from the respondents.
Decide Lewis-Allagoa, after listening to Falana's submission, famous that the respondents had not filed a counterargument to the lawsuit.
The decide cited determined issues and dominated that “all reliefs contained within the movement doc are hereby granted as prayed for.”
Falana, within the affidavit in assist of the appliance filed by a lawyer in his chambers, Taiwo E. Olawanle, said that the primary defendant, the Value Management Board, was created by the Value Management Act, and it has been saddled with the accountability together with setting a value for items to stabilize the overall value stage, stopping hoarding of products, and defending clients from exorbitant costs.
The second defendant is the nation's Chief Legislation Officer.
He additionally said that the complainant has been concerned within the protection and promotion of human rights in Africa for over thirty years and that the complainant has been honored by many native and worldwide organizations for his efforts within the subject of human rights.
The defendant claimed that on January 3, 2023, he was knowledgeable by the plaintiff “that the next items are included within the Value Management Act: bicycles and spare elements, flour, matches, milk, bikes and spare elements, motor autos and spare elements, petroleum merchandise, salt and sugar.
“The Act successfully gave the primary respondent the ability to repair the costs of the big selection of commodities talked about above.
“Though the worth of the above-mentioned commodities is meant to be imposed by the primary respondent, the one petroleum merchandise mounted at a specific amount aren’t enforced.
“That the worth of a bag of rice, which used to price N8,000, has elevated to N45,000 available in the market.
“The state of affairs in the marketplace is changing into extra insufferable for customers each day, as the costs of products proceed to rise each day.
“Sellers aren’t at all times honest as a result of they’re so determined to make extreme earnings on the consumers' expense.
“The meals costs that individuals shouldn’t be disadvantaged of are on the excessive aspect because of the lack of value fixing by the primary defendant. And that consumers are on the receiving finish when the costs of products rise, as a result of they normally undergo extra.”
