In a ruling on Monday, the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT) has restrained Multichoice Nigeria Limited, owners of DSTV and GOTV, from increasing their tariffs and cost of products and services scheduled to begin on May 1st.
The tribunal, chaired by Saratu Shafii, granted an interim order following an ex-parte motion moved by Ejiro Awaritoma, counsel for Festus Onifade, the applicant. The order restrains Multi-Choice from going ahead with the impending price increase pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed before the tribunal.
According to the tribunal, “the 1st defendant (Multi-Choice) 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.” The parties have been directed to appear before the tribunal on May 7th at 10 am for the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
Onifade, a legal practitioner, had dragged Multi-Choice Nigeria Ltd and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) before the tribunal, seeking two orders. The first order sought to restrain Multi-Choice from going ahead with the impending price increase, while the second order sought to restrain them from taking any steps that may negatively affect the rights of consumers.
The suit, marked CCPT/OP/2/2024, was filed on April 29th. Other members of the tribunal include Thomas Okosun and Dr. Umar Duhu. This ruling comes as a relief to consumers who were set to bear the brunt of the tariff hike.
