The Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal has mandated that Multichoice Nigeria provide subscribers on its DStv and GOtv platforms with one month of free subscription for N150 million for challenging the jurisdiction of a court sitting in Abuja that recently restrained it from increasing the prices of its DStv and GOtv packages.
Additionally, the tribunal imposed a N150 million fine on Multichoice for contesting the court’s jurisdiction after it had recently barred the company from increasing the prices of its subscription packages.
The verdict delivered by three of the panel led by Thomas Okosu on Friday, 7th June.
A three-member tribunal chaired by Saratu Shafii had ruled in favour of Onifade by restraining Multichoice in the interim, in the suit marked CCPT/OP/2/2024, restraining the pay TV from going ahead with the impending price increase scheduled to take effect from 1st May 2024 pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
But Multichoice’s lawyer, Moyosore .J. Onibanjo (SAN) filed a preliminary objection urging the court to decline jurisdiction on the suit filed by Festus Onifade and strike it out because such a price dispute case had been decided before in favour of his client.
He stressed that the power to regulate prices is vested in the president of Nigeria, adding that the Tribunal is not the forum where the claimant can come to seek to regulate the prices and services offered by Multichoice.
On his part, Onifade argued that the issue he placed before the court is whether Multichoice Nigeria gave adequate notice in respect of the May 1, 2024 price TV subscription increase, and not price regulation or increase.
“It is our submission that the 8-day notice issued by Multichoice Nigeria is insufficient in law. A monthly subscriber should be given at least a month.
