MultiChoice Nigeria challenges tribunal on DStv, GOtv price hike

Hello,

Victoria from Techpoint here,

Here’s what I’ve got for you today:

MultiChoice Nigeria challenges tribunal on DStv, GOtv price hike
Why physical interviews are more appealing
Authorities reportedly demand $150m bribe before Binance staff arrests
Amazon finally launches online marketplace in South Africa
Nigerians to pay cybersecurity fee

MultiChoice Nigeria challenges tribunal on DStv, GOtv price hike

Remember this? MultiChoice Nigeria puts DStv and GOtv fee hikes on hold

Here’s the latest: MultiChoice is not backing down from their plan to hike prices for their DStv and GOtv packages, despite the tribunal’s recent restraining order.

Their lawyer, M.J. Onibanjo, is pulling out all the legal stops, arguing that the tribunal doesn’t have the power to regulate prices. He’s asking the tribunal to toss out the case altogether.

But Festus Onifade, the guy who filed the lawsuit against MultiChoice, isn’t having it. He’s sticking to his guns, arguing that MultiChoice deliberately disobeyed the court order by going ahead with the price hike on May 1, 2024.

He’s even asking the tribunal to hit MultiChoice with a hefty fine of one billion naira for their disobedience.

And get this: Onifade isn’t just playing nice. He’s filed a notice to have MultiChoice’s Abuja Manager, Mohammed Sageer Sani, thrown in jail for contempt of court. Talk about taking things to the next level!

At the hearing, MultiChoice’s lawyer asked for more time to respond to Onifade’s motions, while the lawyer for the FCCPC ( the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission) said they’re gearing up to weigh in too.

And as for the FCCPC, they’re gearing up to review MultiChoice’s reasons for the price hike, and they might even bring in other regulatory bodies like the National Broadcasting Commission and the Nigerian Communications Commission to weigh in.

The tribunal agreed to give everyone some breathing room and pushed the next court date to May 16th. But this legal showdown is far from over.

Why physical interviews are more appealing

HR processes — Photo by Alex Green: https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-faceless-multiethnic-interviewer-and-job-seeker-going-through-interview-5699475/

You know that saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”? Well, it turns out, in job interviews, you’ve got about 7 seconds to make that impression stick!

I recall my interview with Techpoint Africa. It was pretty solid, even though I had to jump through a bunch of hoops to get there. But hey, for someone like me who deals with anxiety, the vibe was surprisingly chill. And guess what? I crushed it because I’m still here, so I must’ve done something right 😂

But let’s talk about virtual interviews. If I had to do that same interview online, I’m not sure if I’d have left the same impression. I mean, being on camera adds a whole new layer of stress, you know?

I’m not a big fan of interviews in general. Sitting there with all the spotlight on you — it’s not my idea of a good time. But hey, if you know your stuff, you should be alright, right?

Now, you’d think with all the tech we have nowadays and, you know, the whole pandemic situation, virtual interviews would be the way to go, right? But get this: job seekers and employers still dig the in-person vibe. So, what gives?

There’s something about that face-to-face interaction that’s just hard to beat, I guess. Why is that? Besides, if you’re stuck with virtual interviews, there are ways to make them count. Want to know more? Check out Oluwanifemi’s latest insights for all the deets!

Authorities reportedly demand $150m bribe before Binance staff arrests

Here’s the latest drama with Binance and Nigeria: Binance CEO Richard Teng is speaking out about the detention of one of their employees, Tigran Gambaryan, to set the record straight.

According to Teng, Gambaryan and his colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla were invited to Nigeria for some policy meetings, but things took a nasty turn when they were detained in February 2024.

Teng claims that the Nigerian authorities threatened arrest warrants for Binance’s team, including himself, during these meetings. They even scheduled a public hearing without giving any specific reasons for the allegations against the company.As if that wasn’t enough, Teng says that unidentified individuals approached the Binance team and suggested they pay up to settle the allegations. Later, someone claiming to represent the committee allegedly demanded a whopping $150 million in cryptocurrency from Binance within 48 hours. Talk about extortion!

Things went from bad to worse when Nigeria’s tax authority filed tax evasion charges against Binance in March. Teng argues that Nigeria’s regulations on digital assets are unclear, making it hard for crypto exchanges to operate legally.

In April, Gambaryan and Binance were hit with money laundering charges totaling over $35 million. Gambaryan pleaded not guilty, but his colleague managed to escape custody and flee to Kenya. Now, Gambaryan is awaiting a ruling on bail, with the EFCC claiming he’s a flight risk.

Teng believes Gambaryan’s detention is unjust, especially since Gambaryan is just a law enforcement professional and not a decision-maker at Binance. He sees it as Nigeria’s attempt to control Binance by targeting innocent employees.

It’s a messy situation, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be resolved anytime soon. We’ll have to wait and see how things unfold in court.

Amazon finally launches online marketplace in South Africa

Amazon has launched its online marketplace in South Africa. People can now shop until they drop from a huge selection of local and international brands across 20 categories.

Amazon’s pulling out all the stops with some sweet deals. First-time shoppers get free delivery on their first order, and if you spend over R500 (around $27), delivery’s on the house too.

To participate, simply download the Amazon Shopping Pass or visit its website, Amazon.co.za, using your phone or computer. Plus, you can get same-day or next-day delivery!

But the road to launch day wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. It pushed back the original launch date a few times before finally pulling the trigger yesterday.

Along the way, it’s been getting local sellers on board, including small businesses, and teaming up with big names like Apple and Sony and homegrown brands like Masodi and King Kong Leather on the marketplace.

Amazon’s stepping into a market dominated by Takealot, a big player in South Africa’s $3 billion online shopping scene. But they’re not alone in this game; Walmart-owned Massmart is gearing up for a fight, too.

Nigerians to pay for cybersecurity fee

Starting May 20, 2024, Nigerians will be shelling out a 0.5% cybersecurity levy on all electronic transactions. And where’s all that extra cash going? Straight into the National Cybersecurity Fund.

But hold your horses, because financial institutions must rush to prepare their systems for this. Mobile money operators, banks of all kinds, and other big players have just four weeks to gear up for the change, while smaller fry like microfinance banks get eight weeks.

And here’s the kicker: Some transactions get a free pass on this levy. Think salary payments, loans, and transfers within the same bank. Even things like government programmes and educational payments are exempt.

But hold on to your hats — this levy is the CBN’s latest head-scratcher. Remember when they lifted that crypto ban back in December 2023? Well, now there’s talk of them shutting down crypto websites and clamping down on peer-to-peer transactions.

Meanwhile, fintechs like Paga, Moniepoint, and OPay are playing it safe, blocking accounts used for crypto dealings after the CBN told them to hit pause on new customer sign-ups.

But here’s the thing: some folks reckon this levy could throw a wrench in Nigeria’s financial inclusion plans. Well, numbers don’t lie. Financial inclusion jumped from 56% in 2020 to 64% in 2023. Let’s just hope this levy doesn’t put a damper on things.

What I’m reading and watching

MAKING SENSE OF THE CONTRADICTING CREATION NARRATIVES IN GENESIS 1 AND 2
The History of Yahweh – Storm God to Israelite Deity
What Happens To Your Body When You Do Squats Every Day-Not Just For Legs!

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