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Court orders Multi-Choice not to increase DStv, GOtv tariffs
Ejiro Awaritoma, the applicant’s attorney, filed an ex-parte motion, and the three-member tribunal, led by Saratu Shafii, granted the temporary injunction.
Multi-Choice Nigeria Limited was prevented from raising the prices of its goods and services that it had planned to start offering on May 1 by the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT), which met in Abuja on Monday.
Ejiro Awaritoma, the applicant’s attorney, filed an ex-parte motion, and the three-member tribunal, led by Saratu Shafii, granted the temporary injunction.
In a decision, the tribunal halted Multi-Choice’s planned price rise schedule, which was set to go into effect on May 1st, while the motion on notice that was filed before it was heard and decided.
“The 1st defendant is hereby restrained from taking any step(s) that may negatively affect the rights of the claimant and other consumers in respect of the suit pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice,” Shafii declared.
She, therefore, directed all parties in the suit to appear before tribunal on May 7 at 10 a.m. for the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Onifade, in the suit marked: CCPT/OP/2/2024, had dragged Multi-Choice Nigeria Ltd and Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) before the tribunal.
In the suit filed on April 29, Onifade, also a legal practitioner, sought two orders.
These include, “an order of interim injunction of this honourable tribunal restraining the 1st defendant whether by themselves, her privies, assigns by whatsoever name called from going ahead with impending price increase schedule to take effect from 1st May, 2024, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
“An order restraining the 1st defendant from taking any step(s) that may negatively affect the rights of the claimant and other consumers in respect of the suit pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.”
Other members of the tribunal include Thomas Okosun and Dr. Umar Duhu.
NAN reports that the company had, on April 1, 2022, hike the prices of all its packages.
