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A three-man Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCP) Tribunal sitting in Abuja has adjourned hearing on its jurisdiction to entertain the matter brought against MultiChoice Nigeria to May 5. The tribunal made the adjournment on Monday, following a complaint by Festus Onifade, a lawyer, and Coalition of Consumers of Nigeria that MultiChoice had violated the tribunal’s 30 March interim order that the pay television company should revert to old prices.
MultiChoice’s lawyers, quoting a series of legal authorities, had countered the submission that the company was in violation of the tribunal’s order, having challenged the jurisdiction of the tribunal on March 31. They argued that the next course of action by the tribunal is to hear the application challenging its jurisdiction. The FCCPC, second respondent in the matter, also agreed with the submission by MultiChoice’s lawyers that the next step is the hearing on the company’s application on jurisdiction.
The tribunal, in its ruling, agreed and adjourned the matter to May 5 for hearing of the application on jurisdiction.
Onifade, a legal practitioner and Coalition of Nigeria Consumers, on behalf of himself and others, had on 30 March, prayed the tribunal for an order restraining MultiChoice from increasing the prices of its services, with effective from April 1, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed on March 30.
