A Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT) sitting in Abuja on Monday restrained MultiChoice Nigeria Limited from increasing its tariffs and costs of products and services, which were scheduled to begin on May 1.
The three-member tribunal, presided over by Saratu Shafii, gave the interim order following an ex-parte motion moved by Ejiro Awaritoma, counsel for the applicant, Festus Onifade.
In a ruling, the tribunal restrained Multi-Choice from going ahead with the impending price increase schedule to take effect on May 1, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed before it.
“The first 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,” Ms Shafii declared.
She, therefore, directed all parties in the suit to appear before the tribunal on May 7 at 10:00 a.m. for the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
Mr Onifade, in the suit marked CCPT/OP/2/2024, had dragged Multi-Choice Nigeria Ltd. and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) before the tribunal.
In the suit filed on April 29, Mr Onifade, a legal practitioner, sought two orders.
These include “an order of interim injunction of this honourable tribunal restraining the 1st defendant, whether by themselves or her privies, assigned by whatever name called, from going ahead with the impending price increase schedule to take effect on May 1, 2024, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
“An order restraining the first 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 Umar Duhu.
The company’s updated price list showed a 25 per cent increase in the price of its packages across the board.
The new price hike came just four months after a previous hike in price last December.
According to the updated price list, DStv Premium package increased by 25.4 per cent from 29,500 to 37,000, similarly, the DStv Compact+ has gone up by 20.8 per cent from 19,800 to 25,000, while the Compact package increased by 20.3 per cent from 12,500 to 15,700, respectively.
The GOtv packages were also increased. For instance, Supa+ was increased from N12,500 to N15,700; Supa from N7,600 to N9,600; Max from N5,700 to N7,200; and Jolli from N3,950 to N4,850.