Sylva on Monday said that the Nigerian government has no powers to intervene in the rising price of household kerosene because it has been deregulated, adding that it is not necessarily within the purview of the government but a commercial decision as companies now import and sell kerosene at a commercial rate.
Falana, however, noted, “It is common knowledge that the Federal Government, through the NNPC, is the sole importer of fuel into the country, claiming to be subsidising the product. So how can the Federal Government turn round to allow private companies or the so-called market forces to fix the price of the same product?”
“However, contrary to Chief Sylva's claim, the Federal Government is legally obligated by the combined effect of section 4 of the Price Control Act and section 316 of the Petroleum Industry Act to determine and fix the prices of petroleum products including petrol motor spirit, kerosene and cooking gas. In Aberuagba v Attorney-General of Ogun State the Supreme Court held: