THE Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal in Abuja has instructed that its temporary order preventing MultiChoice Nigeria Limited from raising the DSTV tariff must be displayed at the company’s main office and other branch locations throughout Nigeria.
The tribunal’s chairman, Saratu Shafii, issued the order on April 29, 2024, stating that the notice should also be posted at MultiChoice’s email address, social media accounts, and any other public communication channels associated with the company.
The temporary injunction, which restrains MultiChoice from increasing its tariff, was granted in response to a complaint from Abuja-based lawyer Festus Onifade, who objected to MultiChoice’s recent announcement of tariff hikes for its DStv and Gotv packages starting on May 1.
Onifade requested that the tribunal temporarily prohibit MultiChoice from implementing the planned price increase until a formal hearing could be held.
The tribunal initially halted MultiChoice’s tariff adjustments set for May 1 and attempted to serve the company with the order, but encountered resistance from staff at the Abuja office, who refused to accept the documents.
Consequently, the tribunal issued an order for substituted service under relevant legal provisions.
The substituted service order mandates that the interim order (suit number: CCPT/OP/2/2024) be prominently displayed at MultiChoice’s corporate headquarters, branch locations, known email address, social media accounts, and other public communication platforms associated with the company.