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By Emmanuel Adeleke
A Competition and Consumer Protection (CCP) tribunal sitting in Abuja has barred MultiChoice Nigeria Limited from increasing its tariffs and cost of products and services, scheduled to start on April 1.
A three-member panel, presided over by Thomas Okosun, gave the order following an ex parte application moved by Festus Onifade, a legal practitioner, on behalf of himself and the coalition of Nigeria consumers.
Other members of the tribunal are Sola Salako Ajulo and Ibrahim El-Yakubu.
While MultiChoice Nigeria Limited is the first respondent, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) is the second respondent.
Onifade had prayed the court for “an order of interim injunction restraining the first respondent, either by itself, agents, representatives, officers or privies, howsoever described, from carrying out the impending increase in tariffs and cost of its products and services intended to take effect from April 1, 2022, until the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed before this tribunal.”
He also sought “an order of the honourable tribunal mandating the first respondent to maintain status quo pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
“And for such further order or other orders as this honourable tribunal may deem fit to make in the circumstance.”
After hearing the motion ex parte, the tribunal granted the applicant’s prayers.
The matter was adjourned till April 11 for the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The tribunal also directed that all parties in the suit must appear before the tribunal on the next date.
On Wednesday, the Senate had asked Multichoice to reduce the prices of its DStv and GOtv packages, due to the prevailing economic situation in the country.