License winner sues NBC over Digital Switch Over breach

The June 2017 new deadline for Nigeria’s Digital Switch Over (DSO) may run into another hitch as a signal distribution firm yesterday slammed a N1trillion suit against the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over alleged breach of license agreement.
Pinnacle Communications Limited sued  NBC and five other defendants before a Federal High Court in Abuja for issuing same license it won to a foreign competitor.
The firm’s counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), yesterday said, after the plaintiff won the sole bid for the distribution of broadcast signals, the NBC, however, allegedly issued licenses to other companies in that regard.
“Pinnacle had been given a license, and the license has been compromised by the NBC who issued multiple licenses, thereby making the license to Pinnacle unprofitable.
“So, the court is to decide whether the action of NBA is right or wrong. We have an injunction to stop NBC from going forward with issuing licenses to other companies,” Daudu said.
The matter which is before Justice Abdu Kafarati could not go on yesterday, due to the judge’s absence.
Consequently, the suit was adjourned till October 20, 2015 for hearing.
In the suit marked “FHC/ABJ/CS/897/2014,” the plaintiff named the NBC, its Director General, Emeka MBA, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), MTS Communications, Details Nigeria Limited and NTA-Star Network Limited as 1st to 6th defendants.