A Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT) sitting in Abuja has granted an application for substituted service of the interim order, restraining Multi-Choice Nigeria Limited from its plan to increase tariffs on DStv and Gotv packages beginning From May 1.
The three-member tribunal, presided over by Saratu Shafii, granted the applicant’s motion following allegations that officers of the pay-TV firm in the Abuja office refused to receive service of the order and other court documents.
The applicant, Festus Onifade, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday that the CCPT bailiff alleged that one of the company’s top managers at the Abuja office said the documents be channelled through their Lagos office, which is the headquarters.
The tribunal, therefore, gave the order of substituted service pursuant to Section 48 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA), 2018; and Part N, Order 14 Rule 11(1) of the CCPT Rule, 2021.
In the certified true copy of the order of substituted service, Shaffi directed that the ex-parte order in suit number: CCPT/OP/2/2024, be pasted at the corporate headquarters or any known address of the branches of the Multi-Choice Nigeria Limited across Nigeria.
She also ordered that the documents be sent to the company’s “known email address, social media handles and any means of communication publicly known for Multi-Choice and shall also be pasted in the CCPT communication outlet.
The documents had since been pasted at the Multi-Choice Abuja office located at Wuse II.
NAN reports that the tribunal had, on Monday, stopped MultiChoice from increasing its tariffs and cost of products and services scheduled to begin today.
The panel, who gave the order following an ex-parte motion moved by Ejiro Awaritoma, counsel for the applicant, restrained the firm from going ahead with impending price increase pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed before it.
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 scheduled 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.”
Multi-choice had recently announced a price increment across its DStv and GOtv packages effective May 1, 2024.
The pay-TV company claimed the price hike was due to the cost of business operations in Nigeria.
NAN reports that the company had, on April 1, 2022, hike the prices of all its packages despite public outcry.