Mohammed Shosanya
A three-man panel of the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal,
led by Thomas Okusu, on Friday ordered Multichoice Nigeria to pay a fine of N150m for disobedience to court order.
Multichoice Nigeria, owners of DSTV and GOTV pay TV operators was sanctioned for wilfully disobeying an order restraining DSTV and GOTV from hiking their subscription rates.
The tibunal also ordered the company to provide Nigerians with a one-month free subscription to its DStv and GOtv packages for raising objection on the court’s jurisdiction.
The tribunal upon a suit filed by one Barrister Festus Onifade challenging the arbitrary increase, had previously restrained Multichoice from increasing the subscription fees of DSTV and GOTV without adequately notifying customers.
Onifade had claimed that the the digital satellite TV company was wrong by giving subscribers only 8 days before increasing the subscription rate.
Onifade had sued Multichoice alleging that the Pay-TV firm, unjustly increased subscription fees without one month prior notice to customers.
However, counsel for Multichoice argued that previous rulings had settled price regulation issues, while Onifade based his motion on notice on the inadequate notice rather than the price hike itself.
The tribunal affirmed it’s jurisdiction to hear the matter, and ruled against the Pay TV company.