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FG To Arraign MultiChoice Chairman, MD, Others For Allegedly Breaching FCCP Act

Published

3 months ago

June 24, 2025

The Federal Government will, on Oct. 7, arraign Adewunmi Ogunsanya, the Chairman of MultiChoice Nigeria Limited and John Ugbe, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the company over allegations bordering on breach of Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018.

Justice James Omotosho fixed the date on Tuesday after Chizenum Nsitem, counsel to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), made the application due to the absence of the defendants in court.

Others to be arraigned alongside the duo are six top officers of the pay-Tv company, including Fhulufhelo Badugela, CEO of MultiChoice Africa Holdings; Retiel Tromp, Chief Financial Officer, Africa; and Keabetswe Modimoeng,, Group Executive for Corporate Affairs.

They also include a director, Adebusola Bello; Fuad Ogunsanya; Gozie Onumonu, who is the Head Regulatory Affairs and Government Relations, and the company itself.

When the matter was called on Tuesday, none of the defendants was in court due to improper service of the court documents, including the hearing notice, on them.

The prosecuting agency’s lawyer then sought an adjournment to enable them do the needful and the judge adjourned the matter until Oct. 7 for the defendants to take their plea.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/197/2025 dated May 26 but filed May 26, the defendants are being preferred with seven counts.are 2nd to 9th defendants respectively.

While MultiChoice Nigeria Limited is the 1st defendant, Ogunsanya, Ugbe, Badugela, Tromp, Modimoeng, Bello, Fuad Ogunsanya and Onumonu.

In count one, Multichoice Nigeria Limited was alleged to have on March 6 at No 23, Jimmy Carter Street, Asokoro, Abuja, without sufficient reason failed to appear before the FCCPC in compliance with a lawful summons issued on Feb. 25, “and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 33 (3) of the FCCP Act, 2018.”

In court six, Ogunsanya, Ugbe and others, being directors of the company, were alleged to have on March 6 “caused MultiChoice Nigeria Limited to impede Investigation of the FCCPC by refusing to produce documents and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 110 of the FCCP Act, 2018.”

NAN reports that MultiChoice, the operator of DStv and Gotv, had recently increased the subscription rates on its packages against an invitation by FCCPC to give explanation on why the company wanted to effect a price hike.

Justice Omotosho had, on May 8, dismissed the suit filed by MultiChoice seeking to stop FCCPC from taking administrative action against the company.

The judge, in a judgment, held that the suit was an abuse of court process, having been filed after a similar suit was filed on the issue by a lawyer, Festus Onifade, with Multichoice and FCCPC as parties in the suit.

The FCCPC had summoned MultiChoice Nigeria Ltd to provide explanations regarding the March 1 price review of its packages.

The commission directed the company’s chief executive officer to appear for an investigative hearing on Feb. 27, raising concerns over frequent price hikes, potential market dominance abuse and anti-competitive practices within the pay-TV industry.

The FCCPC also issued a stern warning, stating that failure to justify the price adjustment or comply with fair market principles would lead to regulatory sanctions.

However, in the suit filed by MultiChoice’s legal team, the company sought an order of injunction restraining the regulatory commission and its officers from carrying out the threat against it, as communicated via a letter dated March 3.

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NiMet Predicts Three-day Rain, Thunderstorms From Monday

Published

8 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

News

JUST IN: Ooni Visits Olubadan-designate Ladoja In Ibadan

Published

13 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, on Sunday, paid a visit to the Olubadan designate, Rashidi Ladoja, at his Bodija private residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The PUNCH reports that Oba Ladoja will be installed as the 44th Olubadan on Friday, September 26, 2025, following the demise of the 43rd Olubadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, who joined his ancestors on Monday, July 7, 2025, at the age of 90 years.

The two paramount rulers are currently exchanging pleasantries.

Details later…

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JUST IN: FG Revokes 1,263 Mineral Licenses Over Unpaid Fees

Published

14 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has announced a fresh revocation of not less than 1,263 mineral licenses.

These licenses, which will now be deleted from the Electronic Mining Cadastral System portal of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.

The minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, gave the revocation announcement in a statement issued by his special assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Sunday in Abuja.

The minister explained that the directive was issued due to the companies’ failure to comply with the requirement of paying their annual service fees.

The latest revocation brings the total mineral titles revoked under the current administration to 3, 794 including,619 mineral titles revoked for defaulting in paying annual service fees and 912 for dormancy last year.

By opening up the areas formerly covered by these licenses, the revocation is expected to spur fresh applications by investors looking for fresh opportunities.

The statement read, “Not less than 1,263 mineral licenses will be deleted from the portal of the Electronic Mining Cadastral system of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, MCO, following their revocation by the Federal Government.

“These include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.”

Approving the revocation following the recommendation of the MCO, the Minister said applying the law to keep speculators and unserious investors away from the mining sector would make way for diligent investors and grow the sector.

“The era of obtaining licences and keeping them in drawers for the highest bidder, while financially capable and industrious businessmen are complaining of access to good sites, is over.

“The annual service fee is the minimum evidence that you are interested in mining. You don’t have to wait for us to revoke the license because the law allows you to return the license if you change your mind,” the minister said.

He warned that the revocation does not mean the Federal Government has pardoned the annual service debt owed by licensees, adding that the list will be forwarded to the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission to ensure that debtors pay or face the wrath of the law.

“This is to encourage due diligence and emphasise the consequences of inundating the license application processes with speculative activities.”

In the recommendation to the minister, the Director-General of the MCO, Simon Nkom, disclosed that there were 1,957 initial defaulters when the MCO published the intention to revoke licences in the Federal Government Gazette on June 19, 2025.

He informed the minister that the gazette was distributed to MCO offices nationwide to sensitise licencees and encourage them to comply within 30 days in compliance with the Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and relevant regulations.

He observed that the delay in the final recommendation was due to complaints of several licensees who claimed to have paid to the Federal Government through Remita and had to be reconciled.

Earlier this month, the DG MCO had hinted that more mining licences would be revoked as part of ongoing efforts to sanitise the solid minerals sector and protect investors from fraudsters.

According to Nkom, the clean-up exercise, which covers expired, speculative, and inactive titles, is necessary to make room for genuine investors and ensure compliance with the law.

This is part of ongoing efforts at sanitising the sector since the inception of the Tinubu administration, and the salutary effects of the reforms are massive and manifest despite the attempts to push back by defaulters and their agents.