Nigerians are at the losing end again after MultiChoice Nigeria, a South African satellite TV company implemented its 20 percent subscription hike despite court order stopping it from taking such action pending the determination of a suit filed against it by some lawyers.
DAILY POST recalls that a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos state had ordered DSTV to revert to its old subscription fee. The order followed a suit filed by two lawyers challenging what they termed an arbitrary increment in subscription rates imposed by MultiChoice Nigeria, operators of DStv and GOtv pay-TV platforms, on their subscribers.
Justice C.J. Aneke, in an interim order asked MultiChoice to revert to its old subscription rates pending the determination of the suit on the legality of its new tariffs.
Just as Nigerians were celebrating the court order, MultiChoice waved the order aside and has continued to charge customers based on its new subscription rate.
DAILY POST’s visit to MultiChoice head office in Wuse 2, Abuja on Friday revealed the company’s exploitative tendencies and its determination not to back down from its current subscription rates as customers who raised the issue of the existing court order were either escorted by team of security men from the vicinity or harassed by some of its officials kept at the entrance to monitor customer’s reaction.
When our reporters approached one of the staff whose identity we could not ascertain, we were told that nobody was ready to speak with us on the said subject. However, due to our reporters’ insistence, a team of policemen and SSS led them to have a brief session with a man who also refused to divulge his identity to us. While speaking with our reporter, the male official who is of average height told DAILY POST that he was not in any way aware of any court judgment and was not ready to react to what he had considered mere rumours being peddled by some unidentified persons.
The following conversation ensued between our reporters and the DSTV officials:
DAILY POST: We have just gathered that despite a court order that DSTV should revert to its old subscription rate, you have continued to charge customers based on the new tariff. As one of your customers, I just got a text message that my bouquet is now N3600 as against N3000 (makes to switch on the voice recorder)
DSTV official: You do not need to record as we have a formal procedure that we follow. You may need to get a reaction from our cooperate headquarters in Lagos. That’s the right channel. However, I will explain to you as a customer. You can give me your details so I can forward their contacts to you; then you can contact them.
DAILY POST: But you can also speak to us.
DSTV official: Like I said, we have a procedure. I can only talk to you as a customer, I will send you our cooperate coms number or I will forward your numbers to them so they can contact you. Then, you can get all your answers. We are aware of an injunction, but we have not received any order with relation to that. We have been hearing the rumour on the said order, but nobody has told us anything yet. So I will get them your details so you can get other information on this from them.
DAILY POST: Okay, that’s fine…
DSTV official: Any other thing? You said you want to make payment
DAILY POST: Yes, I will make payment now
Police: You want to make payment or you have already made?
DAILY POST: I would like to make payment, but I have just received a text message that payment is now 3600 against the 3000 that I was paying before now. Am I going to be charged for that now?
DSTV official: (Silent, appears confused)
Woman on black suits presumed to be DSS: (In obvious doubt) let’s see the SMS.
DAILY POST : Here…( stretches his mobile phone) You see, I was right.
DSTV official: You are already aware of the new subscription rate
Woman (DSS): Exactly!
DAILY POST: But I said I just got this text message, but there is nothing I can do, I’m already a customer, so I will make payment.
DSTV official: Is your payment altered? Have you been disconnected? (Still suspicious of the reporter’s motive)
DAILY POST: Not at all. It’s just because you people won’t be working on Saturday, so I need to make payment as my subscription would be altered on Sunday. (Brings out money from his pocket and counts) Three Thousand Six hundred (3,600)
Woman (DSS): (Calling a staff name) Go with him to counter six let them attend to him. Go with him…go with him to counter six, let them attend to him, and give him his receipt. (Woman follows to counter six and embarrassingly said: Please attend to this customer so we can free him from the environment.
Reporter: Madam (No response) Madam (referring to the woman)
Woman: Sirdam!
DAILY POST: Are we being harassed?
Woman: Tell us if we are not being harassed.
DAILY POST: You are turning the table round
Woman: You are done now
DAILY POST: Okay…thank you very much…
Also speaking to DAILY POST on Tuesday, a female senior staff at MultiChoice head office in Lagos said the company cannot respond “for now”.
Preferring anonymity, she said: “We cannot react for now because the case in court. Anything we say now may be use against us in court.”
Reminded that the new price regime was already in effect, she responded: “Sorry I cannot comment. There is a suit in court and that is the only place we are allowed to speak.”
Meanwhile, angry reactions have trailed the decision by MultiChoice Africa in disregard of a court order. Many subscribers interviewed by DAILY POST were enraged by the decision. They complained that it was unimaginable that DSTV could go ahead with the move despite the palpable opposition that the increment has generated from Nigerians.
Daniel Oleji said that, “it goes to show that they have no regard for their customers. How can they not because of the resistance of Nigerians cut down the increment to like 10 per cent and not the 20 per cent addition they have now effected.”
Another subscriber, who gave his name as KC called for the “arrest of those in charge of DSTV in Nigeria. Don’t you know what happens when you go against the court? For me, those guys should be arrested for showing contempt for our judiciary.”
Muhammed Yusuf on his part lampooned the government agencies that are supposed to track and control the excesses of companies, stressing that, “if they had been checking DSTV all these while and punishing them for the various times they have let Nigerians down in the services they provide, it wouldn’t have gotten this. But I don’t think it is too late for government to come hard on them. Let it use this opportunity to deal decisively with the organization so that they would think twice before exploiting Nigerians again.”
When told that such punitive action by the government can make the company quit operating in Nigeria thereby denying the country of the benefits of hosting the company, Yusuf said, “believe me, DSTV would on their own never want to leave this country as it knows what it is gaining. Even if it leaves, it wouldn’t take long before another company takes its place. Government just has to intervene for the sake of Nigerians.”
Ahmadu James says he is no longer concerned about whatever DSTV does as he has switched to another service provider, adding that, “I can assure you that there are many people like me who have migrated to other substitutes. Thank God, MultiChoice is not the only company operating cable television in this country. I am very sure that they would have noticed the decrease in the population of their subscribers lately.”
When accosted, Emeka Obi rather asked, “Tell me what would make them (MultiChoice) to increase their subscription fee. Are they in any way directly affected by the falling value of Naira? What exactly could have been behind this their greed when we still see many shortcomings in their services? Me, I have abandoned mine since it expired. Even if I subscribe now, where is the light with which to watch their programmes? Me I cannot pay their new price and they had better stopped sending me SMS reminding me to go and pay.”
Kunle Osofisan, a businessman residing in Oniru Estate, Lagos, lamented the decision of MultiChoice to go ahead with the new rates despite a court case.
“I’m aware that the court ruled on the case in the first week of April after they had implemented the new price regime,” he said.
“But as soon as the Judge ruled, a sensible company should have reversed and wait till the determination of the suit.
“Now, they are acting like there is no case on this matter. People who go to their offices to subscribe pay the new rate.
“Has our national identity or honour gone so low that a South African company now call bluff a ruling by a Nigeria court?, he quipped.
Another subscriber identified as Dora said, ‘’ you see… are we even supposed to be paying monthly to DSTV. Isn’t that an exploitation on its own? We have been enduring this. You could pay for 30 channels and you are only able to watch maybe five or ten channels. Why can’t we pay for what we watch? DSTV should stop exploiting us in our own country. Let them go to South Africa and do that.
Meanwhile, DAILY POST was at the Consumer Protection Council, CPC, in Abuja to confirm what the Council is doing to stop the alleged exploitative tendencies of MultiChoice. A source who pleaded anonymity told our reporter that a letter is currently being worked on and that very soon, it will be delivered to DSTV. He said a copy will be made available to DAILY POST just to know the position of the Council. He said, ‘’we are aware of the development as our customers all over the country have reacted to the new subscription regime. We are working on a letter that will soon be sent to DSTV. Until then, we are not officially guaranteed to react. We will make a copy of the letter available to you. After then, you should know our position.
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