Tribunal Slams DSTV, GOTV with N150M Fine, Orders Free 1 Month Subscription

The Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal has imposed a hefty fine of N150 million on Multichoice Nigeria, owners of DSTV and GOtv.

This penalty was issued because Multichoice did not comply with the tribunal’s directive to refrain from hiking its monthly subscription fees until a pending lawsuit was resolved.

In addition to the fine, the tribunal ordered Multichoice to provide a free one-month subscription to its DStv and GOtv customers.

The issue began when the tribunal instructed Multichoice not to raise its subscription fees without adequate notice.

This directive came after Festus Onifade, a lawyer from Abuja, filed a lawsuit against the company. Onifade argued that the 8-day notice given for the price increase was insufficient.

Multichoice contested the tribunal’s decision, claiming that previous rulings had already addressed issues related to price regulation.

However, Onifade maintained that the short notice was a more significant problem than the price increase itself. This argument led the tribunal to assert its authority and rule against Multichoice.

The tribunal has scheduled a hearing for the main lawsuit on July 3.