In response to the recent surge in DSTV and GOTV subscription fees, the House of Representatives has called on the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to engage in a dialogue with the Multichoice Group.
The motion, proposed by Umar Ajilo during a parliamentary session, sought the suspension of the tariff hike, citing the current economic hardships faced by Nigerians.
Ajilo emphasized that the timing of the subscription increase is particularly inappropriate, given the economic challenges prevailing in the country.
He stated, “The prevailing economic hardship resulting from political and economic factors has made life unbearable to the common man, with far-reaching effects that are yet to be addressed.”
He expressed worries at the “exorbitant increase in DSTV/GOTV package tariffs from N24,500 to N29,500 and N16,600 to N19,800 for the Premium and Compact Plus packages, respectively, at this challenging period.”
However, during the debate, Jonathan Gaza proposed an amendment to the motion, suggesting that instead of compelling Multichoice to reverse the tariff hike, the government should initiate a dialogue with the company.
This amendment found favor with the majority of the House members and was subsequently adopted through a vote led by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
Supporting the call for dialogue, Speaker Abbas highlighted Nigeria’s status as a free-market society, asserting that it would be inappropriate to force a private company to reduce its prices.
The modified motion, favoring a diplomatic approach, was then referred to the Committee on Information to oversee and ensure compliance with the proposed dialogue between the government and Multichoice. #DSTV