The Managing Director of Multi-Choice Nigeria Limited John Ugbe, is to face committal proceeding for allegedly disobeying the order of a Federal High Court in Lagos which restrained the implementation of a new subscription regime of Digital Satellite Television, popularly known as DSTV.


Apart from Ugbe, the company’s Public Relations Manager, Caroline Oghuma, is also to face the committal proceeding.


Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos had on April 2 restrained the company from implementing the new subscription regime pending the determination of a suit filed by two subscribers - Osasuyi Adebayo and Oluyinka Oyeniji.


The plaintiffs, in the motion on notice in support of the application for committal for contempt, are seeking for an order committing the two MultiChoice officers to prison for disobeying the court’s order.
The plaintiffs are also seeking an order mandating MultiChoice to render accounts of all excesses charged in tariffs with the particulars of such subscribers and crediting their account against the next renewal and/or remitting such excesses back to the customers.


They are also seeking an order mandating the Managing Director and the Public

Relations Manager to copy an official written undertaking to be filed at the registry of the court to obey all the orders made in the matter post final determination.


When the matter came up yesterday, MultiChoice’s lawyer, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), informed the court that different applications to discharge the order and to challenge the court’s jurisdiction to hear the matter had been filed.
Onigbanjo had further explained that the order was made a day after MultiChoice started the implementation of the new rates, and that the order was brought to the attention of his client on April 8.


The lawyer further argued that a party that had challenged the jurisdiction of the court with respect to an order was not bound to obey the court’s order.


Onigbanjo further noted that the status quo as at the time the order was made had been maintained by his client.


Responding, plaintiffs lawyer, Osasuyi Adebayo, faulted Onigbanjo’s claims on why the court’s order had not been complied with.


He said the application for injunction was filed before April 1, and that the court’s order had not foreclosed the suit.


“The court has made the order. Whether rightly or wrongly, the defendant is duty-bound to obey it,” he said.


The matter was consequently adjourned to May 5, for the hearing of all pending applications.


The plaintiffs, who are also lawyers, had dragged MultiChoice to the court to challenge the increase in the subscription rates.


In the class action suit marked, FHC/L/CS/404/2015, the plaintiffs are urging the court to order the second defendant, the National Broadcasting Commission(NBC), to also implement Pay Per View where subscribers choose the programmes they want and pay as they watch, which is being implemented in some other parts of the world.


MultiChoice, owners of DStv and GOtv, had in March, announced a 20 per cent price increase for all its satellite pay TV bouquets in Nigeria.


The subscription fee of DStv Premium, Compact plus, compact, access, Family and extra view bouquets were all set to increase, as is the price for GOtv Plus and GOtv bouquet.


Justifying its action, MultiChoice explained that the price increase was necessary for it to continue offering the best in local and international entertainment to its subscribers.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/multichoice-md-spokesperson-to-face-contempt-for-disobeying-order-on-dstv-subscription/207044/

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