Fawehinmi's widow, Balarabe Musa, Utomi, 47 others sue FG over increase in fuel price
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- Category: Law, Crime & Judiciary
- Published on Friday, 06 April 2012 10:43
- Written by Admin
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Fifty prominent Nigerians including Professor Ben Nwabueze, Balarabe Musa, Dr Tunji Braithwaite, Kalu Idika Kalu, Professor Pat Utomi, late Gani Fawehinmi’s wife, Ganiyat, Dr Fredrick Fasheun among others have asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to declare the increase in fuel pump price from N65 to N97 announced by the Federal Government, on January 15, as unlawful, null and void.
The plaintiffs, who brought the suit by way of originating summons, told the court that based on Section 7 of the PPPRA and section 81 of the 1999 Constitution, the defendants are not empowered to validly increase the pump price of petrol as was done on the January 15, 2012 from N65 per litre to N97 per litter.
Nwabueze and 49 others insisted that by virtue of section 81 of the 1999 constitution, the defendants cannot sit as a body or in consultation with one another and validly take any decision affecting the appropriation of revenue accruing to the federation and, in particular, the removal of subsidy on petrol without a valid Appropriation Act.
The matter has already been assigned to Justice Adamu Bello.
However, counsel to the plaintiffs, Festus Keyamo, asked the court to declare that the purported increase of petrol pump price from N65 to N97 by the defendants while sitting as a body or in consultation with one another is in violation of Section 81 of the 1999 Constitution and section 7 of the PPPRA Act and therefore null and void and of no effect.
The plaintiffs is asking the court to nullify the decision of the defendants increasing the fuel pump price of petrol from N65 to N97 on the grounds that the defendants action contravene Section 81 of the 1999 Constitution and section 7 of the PPPRA Act.
They also asked the court to direct President Jonathan to immediately reverse the price of Petrol from N97 to N65 per liter.
The court is also asked to restrain defendants whether by themselves, their privies, agents or howsoever called whether sitting alone or as a body from further increasing in any form or tampering with the price of petrol.
The trial judge, Justice Adamu Bello, has fixed the matter for May 22 for mention.
