The Senate is back to doing what it does best: pretending to be the protector of Nigerians. As it is its wont, the Senate appeals to the heart, not the head. The heart, which is not so smart, is understandably targeted.
On Wednesday, it summoned Mr. Emeka Enelamah, Minister of Industries, Trade and Investment; heads of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) over alleged malpractices by MultiChoice. It also directed its Committee on Information to hold a public hearing for all stakeholders, including the civil society on how to shield subscribers from exploitation. This was sequel to a motion moved by Senator lsah Misau and titled “Concern About Unwholesome Practices by MultiChoice Nigeria (DStv)”.
In Misau’s view, MultiChoice Nigeria dominates the domestic pay-TV market, a situation that enables it to allegedly engage in negative and unhealthy trade practices, resulting in complaints, petitions as well as litigations with subscribers dissatisfied with its programming and subscription hikes.
Misau’s main target, obviously, is DStv’s football content. He claimed that the motion was of public interest because many football fans in the country, especially followers of the English Premier League, are at the mercy of DStv, which exclusively broadcasts the matches in the country.
According to Misau, subscriber complaints included arbitrary increase in the subscription charges and refusal to adopt the pay-as-you-use model applicable in other countries where MultiChoice operates.
“Many concerned Nigerians are aggrieved and in constant demand to stop DStv’s arbitrary price hikes, noting that recent increase in DStv subscription is outrageous and totally unacceptable,” Misau said.
He was supported by Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Na’Allah, who said: “We have found ourselves in the situation where certain people position themselves for a business in such a manner because they have exclusive monopoly. This does not help any growing economy in any country and I think the moral courage to reverse this situation in the overall interest of Nigeria rests with this Senate.”
Apparently keen to give an impression that MultiChoice is not the target of the probe, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said that the motion was more about protecting the Nigerians’ rights in the area of services than about DStv.
“We must play our role to ensure that we protect Nigerians and ensure that the best global practices are happening in our own country.
“So, I would want the committees, as directed, to look into the matter, particularly to ensure that the CPC plays the role they (sic) should play in ensuring that the rights of Nigerians are always protected,” said the Senate President who, most likely, did not believe himself.
Perhaps Saraki and the Senate have been hiding under a rock, a situation that prevented them from knowing that the CPC, the government agency charged with doing what the senate is belatedly pretending to do, has finished a far reaching investigation of MultiChoice and following that had last week, released its recommendations, which are already available to everybody. It is also mystifying that Misau, mover of the motion, is unaware there has not been a “recent increase in DStv subscription,” which “is outrageous and totally unacceptable.”
“Recent increase?” Except Misau is using a different calendar, there is no way he would describe the last subscription increase as recent, given that it was announced last March and was preceded by two years of no subscription increase in Nigeria despite the dipping value of the naira and rising costs of doing business.
While I concede that MultiChoice’s operations are not perfect (how many companies run perfect operations?), latching on prefabricated claptrap, as Misau did, is cheap. The senator, keen to be seen as a people’s defender, claimed MultiChoice has refused to adopt a pay-as-you-use model in Nigeria as it does in other countries it operates. This is eminently false. MultiChoice does not have a pay-as-you-use model in any country it operates. A simple internet search would have shown the senator that he was spouting a lie. But then, it could get in the way of the narrative with which he plans to incite subscribers and earn marks as a public defender.
He also spoke about monopoly, an allegation chorused by the Deputy Senate President. As with the pay-as-you-use model, this is also a myth.
DStv, undoubtedly the biggest player, is by no means a monopoly. ACTV, Consat, Montage, StarTimes and MyTV offer satellite TV services. Before these providers was a certain HiTV which, for three years, had exclusive right to English Premier League games (the cause of Misau’s irritation). Where is/was the monopoly? What existed and still does is the fact that MultiChoice has succeeded where many others, including HiTV that went belly up despite having the EPL, have failed. A large slice of the success may be attributable to first mover advantage. MultiChoice came first, tied up the most appealing content like any sensible operator in a free market economy would do. A court showed last year that there is no law prohibiting MultiChoice or any company from charging what it thinks the market can bear. Even lawyers do not charge the same fees. So, what exactly are these “arbitrary price hikes”? The same week the senator yapped about arbitrary increases, DStv slashed the prices of its hardware.
The English Premier League, I concede to the Senate, is a matter of public interest. Just why it has eluded the senators that the immodest opulence in which they live, the country’s dire physical and social infrastructure, widespread corruption and general despondency are matters of greater public interest than foreign football should have us all mystified. The squalid state of our domestic football is of no interest to the Senate, obviously. But when looked at a bit more carefully, it cannot be unreasonable to conclude that the Senate knows it can get us talking about Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United et al for the four weeks the charade will last, cleverly taking our minds off more pressing issues.
It is a con job to have us thinking they are fighting our corner. A little scrutiny of the Deputy Senate Leader’s words will show this. “I think the moral courage to reverse this situation (DStv’s alleged sharp practices) in the overall interest of Nigeria rests with this Senate.” How about having the moral courage to turn down obscene allowances for a start?
–Fetuga, a public affairs analyst, writes from Warri
