Multichoice
Multichoice Nigeria has challenged the jurisdiction of the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal sitting in Abuja restraining it from increasing the prices of its DStv and GOtv packages.
Multichoice’s lawyer, Moyosore Onigbanjo, said he filed an application on April 30 challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal to make the order it made on April 29.
During the court proceeding, on Tuesday, Onibanjo told the tribunal to decline jurisdiction on the suit filed by Festus Onifade, saying such a price dispute case had been decided before in favour of his client.
Besides, the senior lawyer said he also filed a memorandum of conditional appearance on the same date.
He argued that where the jurisdiction of the court is challenged, the issue had to be decided before proceeding on other matters.
Lawyer to the FCCPC, M. Adeke, said though he had been served with the processes in the matter, he sought an adjournment to enable the commission to respond to all the applications served on it.
Onigbanjo equally sought an adjournment to enable him to respond to fresh processes served on him by Festus Onifade.
He, however, insisted that where the issue of jurisdiction is raised, such must be addressed first.
The lawyer, Festus Onifade, who dragged Multi-Choice before the CCPT did not oppose the application for adjournment and the tribunal, presided over by Thomas Okosun, adjourned the matter until May 16 for a hearing.
Earlier, Onifade instituted contempt charges against the Manager of the Abuja office of Multi-Choice Nigeria Ltd, Mr Mohammed Sani, over alleged disobedience to the court order.
In a Notice of Consequence of Disobedience to Order of Court, Form 48, marked: CCPT/OP/02/2024 dated and filed on May 7, the notice, warned Sani against disregarding the tribunal order.
“Take notice that unless you obey the under-listed order of the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal, Abuja, given on the 29th day of April 2024; thus:
“An order restraining the 1st defendant/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 1st May 2024, until the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed before this tribunal.
“You will be guilty of contempt of this tribunal and will be committed to prison.”