The House of Representatives has directed MultiChoice Nigeria, owner of DStv and GOtv, to halt its planned subscription rate increase, citing the prevailing economic hardship in the country.
The Pay-TV provider had recently announced a price adjustment effective from March 1, with the DStv Premium package rising from N37,000 to N44,500, while Compact+ subscribers would pay N30,000 instead of N25,000.
The Compact bouquet would also increase from N17,000 to N19,000.
The directive followed a motion moved by Esosa Iyawe, an All Progressives Congress lawmaker from Edo State, during plenary on Tuesday.
“Multichoice recently announced a hike in subscription rates across all its packages, citing rising operational costs.
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“However, this marks the second increase in less than a year, with the last adjustment made in May 2024,” Iyawe said.
He noted that the previous hike triggered widespread public outrage, with many Nigerians, already grappling with economic challenges, abandoning their decoders due to a lack of competition in the pay-TV sector.
“Multichoice’s dominance in the market means any price increase has a widespread impact, putting consumers under undue financial pressure,” he added.
Following the adoption of the motion, the House resolved that Multichoice should suspend the proposed hike pending a thorough investigation.
The lawmakers also mandated the Committee on Commerce to probe the recurring increases in subscription fees, to ensure cost-effective policies for Nigerian consumers.
The committee was given four weeks to submit its findings
END.
Police launch manhunt for abductors of Catholic priest, seminarian in Edo
The Edo State Police Command has launched a manhunt for suspected herdsmen who allegedly abducted a Catholic Priest and a Seminarian from St. Peter Catholic Church, Ivukwa community, in Etsako East Local Government.
In a statement in Benin on Tuesday, the command’s Spokesman, CSP Moses Yamu, said the incident occurred about 11:30 pm on Monday, when armed men stormed the church and kidnapped Rev. Father Philip Ekeli and Seminarian Peter Andrew.
According to him, a swift response by the police, in collaboration with vigilantes and hunters under Operation Rescue, led to a gun battle with the attackers.
“One of the suspects, whose identity remains unknown, was neutralised during the operation, and his corpse has been deposited at the General Hospital, Agenebode,” Yamu stated.
Yamu noted that items recovered from the suspect included a Tecno button phone with two SIM cards, a power bank, a dagger jacket, a bag containing biscuits and Nescafé beverage, and the sum of N168,850.
The police spokesperson asserted that four suspects, names withheld, were arrested during the operation.
He said that the Commissioner of Police, Betty Otimenyin, had ordered reinforcements from the anti-kidnapping unit and Police Mobile Force, working alongside the military, to secure the victims’ unconditional release and capture the remaining abductors.
Yamu urged residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to aid ongoing rescue efforts.
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