The Competition and Consumer Protection (CCP) Tribunal sitting in Abuja has restrained Multi-Choice Nigeria Limited from increasing its tariffs and cost of products and services scheduled to begin on April 1.
The three-member tribunal, presided over by Thomas Okosun, gave the order following an ex-parte motion moved by Festus Onifade, a legal practitioner, on behalf of himself and the Coalition of Nigeria Consumers.
Other members of the tribunal include Sola Salako Ajulo and Ibrahim El-Yakubu.
In a suit CCPT/OP/1/2022, Multi-Choice Nigeria Limited, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) are first and second respondents respectively.
The motion ex-parte filed by the applicants on March 29 was brought pursuant to Section 39 (1) & (2) of FCCPC Act 2018; Order 26, Rule 5 (2), (3) & 26 Rule 6 (1) & (2) Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019 and Section 47(a), (b), (c),(d), of Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018.
The applicants had prayed for “an order of interim injunction restraining the 1st defendants/respondents, 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 April, 2022, until the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed before this tribunal.
In the ruling, the tribunal ordered Multi-Choice Nigeria Limited to stop the planned hike in tariffs and cost of its products and services pending the hearing and determination of the motion.