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People, Organizations must be law abiding for peaceful coexistence-Expert

18 July, 2024

By Salamatu Kehinde, ABUJA

Dr Ifeanyi Nwafor, Expert and Managing Director of Metrodigital Ltd, Owners of Silver Lake pay TV, (SLTV)says people and Organizations are not above the law, therefore should remain law abiding for peaceful coexistence.

Nwafor gave this advice on Thursday in Abuja.

The Business man who is Managing Director, Metrodigital Ltd., said that Multichoice Nig.Ltd, should respect the rule of law by obeying Court judgment and law abiding.

SLTV, a rival pay TV to DSTV, Startimes among others, was inaugurated by Sen. George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation(SSF), March 7, 2024.

Nwafor, who gave an update on the ruling of a Portharcourt High court in July 2, 2024 against Multichoice, stated that laws were made for the proper functioning of society.

“It is on record that a High Court in Portharcourt presided over by Justice Chinwendu Nwogu on July,2024 awarded the sum of N30,000,000.00(thirty million naira) as damages against Multichoice in favour of Metrodigital, ” he said.

Giving an insight into what transpired, Nwafor said the court judgment was given for violation of his fundamental rights.

He explained that recently, Metrodigital approached the court to compel Multichoice to sublicense channels, acquired channels for a fee, in accordance with the provisions of the National Broadcasting Code.

“Metrodigital was able to secure judgment to her favour from the Court of Appeal in Portharcourt.

“In her characteristic manner, Multichoice disobeyed the judgement of the Appellate court in a desperate move to sustain the monopoly it had entrenched in the Nigerian Broadcast industry for many decades.

” It is on record that Multichoice had at several occasions instigated government agencies to prevent other players, especial indigenous operators from fair participation in the. broadcast industry.

“A case in point is the unwarranted use of a government agency, the Nigerian Copyright Commission(NCC/) to review a case already decided by the Appellate Court in Portharcourt.” Nwafor said.

He said the unwholesome move by Multichoice to resort to unlawful means to challenge the judgment of the Appeal court through a government agency was an affront.

According to him, it is an affront on the efforts of government to engineer a substantial structural transformation of the Nigerian economy.

” Worthy of note is the fact that the broadcast industry in Nigeria, for more than three decades,has not made any meaningful contribution in employment generation.

“Neither in poverty reduction, improved standard of living and addressing income inequality due to monopoly.
It is little wonder then that, the the output of the economy grows at a lower rate than the rate of population growth,” he said.

According to him, ideally, the Nigerian Broadcast industry is expected to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s multidimensional macroeconomic stability.

He said laws were made for proper functioning of society, hence individuals or organisations must have the discipline to obey laws, whether au h laws were in their favour or not.

” Also, impunity and flagrant disregard to laws by individuals and organizations without consequences promote anarchy and such acts are condemnable.

“Multichoice must admit the stark reality that both humans and organisations must be law abiding for peaceful coexistence and societal progress, Nwafor said.

He added that the Nigerian Broadcasting industry is replete with features that have promoted her underdevelopment in the past three decades and beyond.

He said such features ranged from anticompetition practices that paved way for Monopoly.

He pointed out that such practices were inimical to economic growth and development

Nwafor maintained that failure to obey laws intended to promote the efforts of government to stimulate growth in the economy culminated in the stagnant nature of economy of any nation.(MAINSTREAM)

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