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Nwabueze, Balarabe Musa, 48 others sue FG over fuel price increase

Fifty Nigerians including legal luminary, Professor Ben Nwabueze and former governor of Kaduna state Balarabe Musa, have asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to … Continue reading Nwabueze, Balarabe Musa, 48 others sue FG over fuel price increase


Fifty Nigerians including legal luminary, Professor Ben Nwabueze and former governor of Kaduna state Balarabe Musa, have asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to declare the increase in fuel pump price from N65 to N97 by the Federal Government as unlawful,  null and void.

Named in the suit are President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate president, Speaker of House of Representative, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and the 36 state governors as co-defendants.

The federal government earlier in the year increased the price of fuel to N97 following the partial return of the fuel subsidy which was initially removed completely.

The plaintiffs who have brought the suit by way of originating summons told the court that by the stipulations of Section 7 of the PPPRA Act 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.

The other plaintiffs in the suit includes, Dr Tunji Braithwaite, Kalu Idika Kalu, Professor Pat Utomi, late Gani Fawehinmi’s wife, Ganiyat, Shehu Sanni and Dr Fredrick Fasheun.

They 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.

They asked the court to direct President Jonathan to immediately reverse the price of petrol from N97 to N65 per litre.

They also want the court to restrain the defendants whether by themselves, their agents or whosoever called whether sitting alone or as a body from further increasing in any form or tampering with the price of petrol.

Presiding judge, Justice Adamu Bello has adjourned the matter till May 22 for mention.