Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has expressed strong criticism of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for abruptly adjusting the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) or petrol from approximately N500 to N617 per litre.
Falana's reaction came in response to the sudden price hike, which marked the second impromptu petrol price review in less than two months, with prices soaring from around N185 in May.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria pointed out that President Bola Tinubu had declared, during his inaugural address in May, that his administration would govern the country based on the rule of law.
Falana cited a recent judgment from the Federal High Court, which established that the Federal Government is required, by the Petroleum Act, Price Control Act, and the Constitution, to "always fix the price of petroleum products sold across Nigeria."
Despite the Federal Government's appeal against the judgment at the Court of Appeal, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) has taken matters into its own hands and assumed the power to determine and set the prices of petroleum products in the country, according to Falana.
"It is abundantly clear that the NNPCL's actions are illegal and contemptuous, as the judgment of the Federal High Court on this matter has not been overturned by a higher court," Falana asserted.
