A COMPELLING REASON TO BEHAVE IN NIGERIA

Because what good is a corrupt justice system if you never get to see a judge?

By Meghan Walsh

A lot of life can happen in three years. You can earn a law degree, watch a newborn grow  a toddler, start a company called Facebook and grow it from zero users to 100 million. In Nigeria, you might also spend as long waiting in jail to see a judge.

But it’s not uncomon to hear of someone being detained for even longer, according to multiple human rights reports, which cite the 3.7 years figure. 

Then the trials themselves often last multiple years. The kicker? Very few people are convicted once they make it before a judge. Only 28 percent of inmates, or fewer than 18,000, are serving actual sentences.

The percentage of Nigeria’s incarcerated who fall into the innocent-until-proven-guilty category is very similar to another country’s: America. In the States, 70 percent of people in jail haven’t been convicted of a crime. Tosin Osasona, who now works for the Center for Public Policy Alternatives in Lagos but used to be a lawyer, recalls the case of a young man. 

The 15-year-old had been playing football at a construction site with friends when another boy was either pushed or fell onto an iron rod and died. The teenager spent a decade locked away and was in his 20s when the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria learned of his case. The charges were eventually dropped, says Osasona. 

The prison guard service did not respond to requests for comment, but in news accounts a public information officer has confirmed the long pretrial detentions and said the government is actively working to address the problem.

Many factors influence the lengthy wait times, a primary one being that very few prisoners have access to lawyers. Several international and local organizations have started programs to provide lawyers to indigent inmates in small jurisdictions and have had success improving the pipeline. 

Northwestern associate law professor Juliet Sorensen also points out that Nigeria is the most populous African country but has relatively few resources, which has left criminal justice institutions grossly unequipped. Like the States, Nigeria has adversarial courts, and it’s up to police to collect all evidence. 

Without resources, there is a tendency to turn to torture for confessions, says an Open Society Foundation report. At the same time, a relatively young democracy, the concept of mob justice is still very much woven into Nigeria’s culture, so people expect alleged criminals to be punished immediately. “The idea of a trial is alien,” says Osasona.

But the percentage of Nigeria’s incarcerated who fall into the innocent until proven guilty category is very similar to another developed country’s: America. In the States, 70 percent of people in jail haven’t been convicted of a crime. But “we don’t have the same excuses,” Sorensen says.

 THE DAILY DOSE

Tourism: GETTING DRUNK IN AFRICA IS EASIER THAN EVER

Gettyimage/

By Taylor Mayol

It’s Thursday night in Nairobi, and Aleem Ladak’s bar is packed with young professionals in suits and tight dresses gearing up for the night. The DJ is playing throwback hip-hop and Kenyan pop. The drinks are flowing. Five years ago, it’d have been wine and liquor, but nowadays, it’s beer — brewed here, in shiny silver tanks behind a glass wall. Ladak will likely sell out.

Across the continent, the beer business is booming. Last year, South African brewer SABMiller sold nearly 30 percent of its beverages in the African market, raking in $1.7 billion and helping to entice beer behemoth Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) to buy it up. 

That acquisition is pending, but sales are already up 11 percent this year, and by next year, Africa will be the world’s fastest-growing beer market, according to a 2015 report by Canadean. 

For a decade now, economists and industry experts have seen Africa — with its fast-paced urbanization and rising middle class with more money to spend — as a place with a massive pool of untapped consumer and growth potential. But perhaps nowhere has that dream been better realized than with beer.

While the rest of the world sees Africa’s youth-bulge as a strain on jobs and infrastructure, brewers see it through, well, beer goggles: Some 65 million Africans will reach the legal drinking age by 2023. 

By contrast, the landscape in developed countries is rather sobering: In the U.S., for instance, beer sales grew by a very diluted 0.2 percent. Ladak, the Kenyan brewer, lived the juxtaposition: He worked across Europe and Canada for craft brewers and some of the world’s biggest beer makers, and decided to commit to his hometown’s market potential. It has paid off: When he started, in 2009, he sold about 5,000 glasses a month. This year? He’s up to 60,000 — in hotels and restaurants, as well — and can’t make anymore.

The question for Ladak, and a host of other niche microbrewers who’ve just started gaining momentum, is whether they’ll have a place in Africa’s changing beer landscape. Craft breweries are but a fledgling phenomenon in Africa, with two in Kenya, a handful in Ethiopia and Namibia, and 160 in the most developed market, South Africa, according to estimates. 

The market is limited to young professionals and urbanites. Meanwhile, the $106 billion merger of SABMiller and AB InBev will create a company that will make one in three beers sold worldwide — and give AB InBev its long desired base in Africa, after years of scant sales there.

Historically, SABMiller’s has played pretty nice with African craft brewers, considering it has almost 90 percent of the market. On the one hand, it’s put resources to growing the beer market overall by selling hops to small brewers at cost and picking up the tab for craft brew festivals, says Lucy Corne, a beer writer and consultant based in Cape Town. 

On the other hand, its raw market power — which comes with massive influence over input and retail prices— makes brewers leery. “It’s a bit of a wolf in sheep’s clothes,” says Deon Englebrecht, who owns Stellenbrau, a craft brewery in South Africa’s winelands.

Even so, brewers like Englebrecht worry about a post-merger hangover. They point out that in other markets, including the U.S., AB InBev stood accused of buying up major distributors to allegedly make it more difficult for the little guys to get their brews on supermarket shelves. Last week, the Department of Justice approved the acquisition, but stipulated that it must review any distributor acquisitions AB InBev proposes for the next 10 years. As for the African market, ABin Bev spokesperson Emma Reynolds tells us that under its agreement with the South African government, it’s committed to “support the participation of small beer brewers in the local market.”

As it stands, the big brewers tend to produce one type of drink: “It’s a continent of lagers, lagers and more lagers,” says Corne. Of course, the independents, with their IPAs, stouts, malts and ales, tend to produce stuff of inconsistent quality — you may well get a pint that tastes skunked. Still, there’s variety, and for some Africans, there’s even more at stake: As in many countries, beer is about cultural identity.

Well before Europeans colonized Africa, many villages made their own homebrews from local crops, mostly maize but sometimes sorghum or even banana, and added twists like honey and ginger. The colonizers imported more standardized brews and tried to control access to alcohol. A half century after decolonization started, some of the continent’s oldest businesses are breweries, relics of the colonial era: Kenya’s iconic Tusker, for example, was first brewed by the British overlords in 1922. Independence leaders used beer as a rallying point — and, sometimes, a source of state funds. Idi Amin nationalized Uganda’s Nile Breweries, and, according to lore, the first regional African airline, East African Airways, fell apart when Kenya insisted on serving its national beer.

As it turns out, many of these supposedly national brews are actually owned by SABMiller, which prides itself on its ability to “reinvigorate national icon brands.” The world’s other big brewers are in on the game, of course. The Netherlands’ Heineken owns Congo’s Primus, while French-maker Castel owns Madagascar’s flagship, Three Horses Beer. For that matter, Budweiser — aka “America’s Beer” — has been owned by Belgium-based AB InBev since 2008.

For now, Ladak and his wife own Big Five Breweries. But being at capacity, he’s looking to open a new facility with six times the brew power and the ability to bottle the stuff. Which is to say, he needs some capital investment. He hopes it’ll come from American craft brewers.

THE DAILY DOSEAUG 23 /OZY

EFCC QUIZZES OVER 100 STAFF ON BRIBERY ALLEGATION

The Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said on Monday that more than 100 members of staff of the commission had been quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over bribery allegations during the last general elections.Yakubu stated this in the commission’s bulletin released in Abuja on Monday.

At the end of the investigations, he said those found guilty would be sacked by the commission.

Some Resident Electoral Officers of the commission were alleged to have been bribed by the officials of the Peoples Democratic Party during the 2015 elections.

 Also, many electoral officers and others, were said to have been involved in the bribery scandal.

The INEC boss said that all the indicted officers would be shown the way out to serve as a deterrent to others.

He said, “So far, over a 100 staff of INEC had been invited. At a point, we toyed with the idea of speaking to the EFCC to see the weight of evidence they have so that we can take administrative action against our staff, but they are innocent until they are proven guilty.

“They have to be charged to court, but we have taken notice and we have a complete list.”

Though the list of invited staff kept increasing, the INEC boss said the commission was cooperating with the EFCC and that ultimately members of staff who were culpable would “be shown the way out.”

Yakubu, who called for the establishment of the electoral offences commission and tribunal as prescribed by the Justice Mohammed Uwais and Ahmed Lemu Commissions, noted that inconclusive elections were brought about largely by violence.

He added that the only way to stop electoral  violence was to put in place a mechanism that would punish offenders, arguing that “there are people who believe that they can do anything and get away with it.”

He said that though inconclusive elections were caused by violence and over-voting, Yakubu observed that they were also compounded by the recent evolution of two strong parties as opposed to the past where he said there was only one mega party and smaller ones.

The INEC boss expressed optimism that following representations made by the commission to the Presidency, the outstanding six  National Commissioners and 21 Resident Electoral Commissioners would soon be appointed to replace those whose tenure had lapsed.

source:Punch

 

RUSSIAN WAR PLANES BOMB ISLAMIC STATE IN SYRIA AGAIN

Russian warplanes took off on Tuesday from a base in Iran to target Islamic State fighters and other militants in Syria, Russia's Defense Ministry said, widening Moscow's bombing campaign in Syria in a major development in the country's civil war.

The long-range bombers took off from near the Iranian city of Hamedan, around 280 kilometers (175 miles) southwest of the Iranian capital, and struck targets in three provinces in northern and eastern Syria.

Meanwhile, Syrian opposition activists said a wave of airstrikes on rebel-held parts of the northern city of Aleppo killed at least 15 civilians and wounded many others on Tuesday, but it was not clear whether the strikes were carried out by the Russian or Syrian government's air force.

It is virtually unheard of in Iran's recent history to allow a foreign power to use one of its bases to stage attacks from. Russia has also never used the territory of another country in the Middle East for its operations inside Syria, where it has been carrying out an aerial campaign in support of President Bashar Assad's government for nearly a year.

The announcement suggests cooperation on the highest levels between Moscow and Tehran, both key allies of the embattled president.

It comes a day after Russia's defense minister said Moscow and Washington are edging closer to an agreement on Syria that would help defuse the situation in the besieged northern city of Aleppo.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the agreement would "allow us to find common ground and start fighting together for bringing peace to that territory," adding that Russian representatives are "in a very active stage of talks with our American colleagues."

A U.S. official said, however, that discussions with the Russians are still ongoing and no agreement is close. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media about the ongoing talks.

Russia and the United States have been discussing greater coordination for striking extremists in Syria, but they have been unable to reach agreement on which militant groups could be targeted.

Russia has criticized what it describes as U.S. reluctance to persuade the Syrian opposition groups it supports to withdraw from areas controlled by al-Qaida's branch in Syria.

In Tehran, the state-run IRNA news agency quoted Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, as saying that Tehran and Moscow have exchanged "capacity and possibilities" in the fight against the Islamic State group.

"With constructive and extended cooperation between Iran, Russia and Syria and the resistance front (Hezbollah), the situation has become very tough for terrorists and the trend will continue until the complete destruction of them," Shamkhani said.

Russia and Iran have been expanding their ties in the past months after most of the sanctions against Iran were lifted following the nuclear deal with world powers that put restricted Iran's nuclear program from weapons-grade capability.

A top Russian lawmaker, Adm. Vladimir Komoyedov, said Russia's decision to use a base in Iran will help to cut costs, which is "paramount right now."

The Russian ministry's statement issued said Su-34 and Tu-22M3 bombers took off earlier in the day to target Islamic State and the Nusra Front militants in Aleppo, as well as in Deir el-Zour and Idlib, destroying five major ammunition depots, training camps and three command posts.

The Nusra Front is al-Qaida's branch in Syria. However, the group recently announced it was changing its name to Fath al-Sham and severing ties with the global terror network in an apparent attempt to evade Russian and U.S.-led airstrikes. Russia and the U.S. have dismissed the name change as window-dressing.

The Russian Defense Ministry released a video showing a Russian Tu-22M3 long-range bomber dropping bombs in strikes described as "terrorist objects in Syria."

The nearest air base to Hamedan is Shahid Nojeh Air Base, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of the city. The base has seen Russian aircraft land there before. A report in December by the American Enterprise Institute, based off satellite imagery, suggested the air base saw a Russian Su-34 "Fullback" strike fighter land there in late November. It said a Russian Il-76 "Candid" transport plane also landed there around the same time before both took off, suggesting the Su-34 may have suffered a mechanical issue.

The report described the air base as "quite large with a 15,000-foot (4,572-meter) runway, extensive taxiways and multiple hangars and bunkers — all seemingly in good repair." It said it is "ideal for providing covert ground support to Russian combat missions."

Iran's constitution, ratified after its 1979 Islamic Revolution, bans the establishment of any foreign military base in the country. However, nothing bars Iranian officials from allowing foreign countries to use an airfield.

The announcement from Russia marks the first significant stationing of its troops there since World War II, when allied British and Soviet forces invaded Iran to secure oil fields and keep Allied supply lines open.

Russia says its bombing campaign in Syria is focused on extremist groups but it has frequently struck other, including more moderate rebels fighting Assad's forces.

Last week, Russian bombers launched a wave of airstrikes on the city of Raqqa, the Islamic State group's de factor capital in northern Syria, killing at least 20 civilians according to Syrian opposition activists.

Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press Writers Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran; Zeina Karam in Beirut and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.

AP

UK Inflation accelerate, as Pound slump

(Bloomberg) -- U.K. inflation accelerated in July and there were signs of further price pressures with the weak pound leading to the biggest jump in import costs in more than four years.

Consumer-price growth picked up to 0.6 percent from 0.5 percent in June, the Office of National Statistics said in London on Tuesday. Economists had forecast that the rate would stay at 0.5 percent, according to the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey. Input costs surged an annual 4.3 percent last month, ending 32 consecutive declines, while import prices jumped the most since 2011.

After weeks of surveys, the inflation numbers mark the first hard numbers on the economy in the wake of the Brexit vote in June. While the full economic impact of the U.K.'s decision to leave the European Union will take time to be seen, data this week on the labor market, retail sales and the public finances will be scrutinized for clues.

ONS statistician Mike Prestwood said while there's “no obvious impact” yet on headline inflation from the June 23 vote, producer-prices data “suggest the fall in the exchange rate is beginning to push up import prices faced by manufacturers.”

The pound has dropped about 13 percent against the dollar since the referendum. Because of that, the Bank of England expects inflation to reach its 2 percent target faster than previously anticipated, though that didn't stop it responding to Brexit threats with new stimulus this month.

Early upward pressure on prices was largely seen last month in import costs for materials such as metals, parts and chemicals, which rose an annual 6.5 percent.

Factory-gate prices rose 0.3 percent in July from June and were up 0.3 percent year-on-year, the ONS said. That's the first annual increase in more than two years.

AON URGES GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS JET FUEL SHORTAGE

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has called on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency address the acute shortage of Jet Fuel that the country has been experiencing in recent times.
The call was made by the Chairman of AON Captain Nogie Meggison on the heels of a consistent unavailability of the product in the past week for airlines to conduct their operations thereby leading to 50% delays or cancellation of flights.
“We have been forced to cry out about the perennial problem at this juncture because it continues to put us in a difficult situation to go an extra mile to fulfill our obligations to our esteemed customers in spite of the inconveniences that go with it. However, we are at the mercy of the oil marketers and many times our hands are tied such that we are left with no other option than to cancel flights,” Meggison declared.
Speaking further, the AON Chairman noted that together with the shortage of Jet A-1 the marketers have been increasing the price consistently to an unbearable point. “Till April this year, I bought Jet A1 Fuel for N105 a liter. About a month ago the price jumped to N145. Two weeks later it rose to about N200 a liter. Today the price has skyrocketed above N200 a litre. This has greatly increased our operational cost.
For instance, considering that the cost of fuel accounts for about 40% of the operational cost of most airlines, the colossal rise in price of the product by over 100% has equally increased the operational cost astronomically. In the light of this, our feasibility studies and financial projections are greatly threatened thereby putting the airlines in a dangerous and difficult financial position.
In spite of all this, we can’t increase ticket prices in order not to discourage our dear customersthat have been seriously stretched due to the economic hard time facing them and their disposable income seriously reduced or erased.
For most of them now the alternative means of travel is going by road; our major competitor. It should be put on record however that road transport uses Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as Petrol, which is highly supported or assisted by the Federal government with exchange rate of N285 and available to marketers. Airlines on the other hand don’t have such foreign exchange support or availability from our government with regards to helping to make Jet Fuel available to airlines or at an affordable price.
PMS forex allocation is being given regularly to importers at N285 to the dollar, and the road transporters don’t pay 5% VAT or the Regulatory 5% Ticket Sales Tax or any of the other multiple taxes being charged to the airlines today, where as much as 35% of a total ticket price are taxes and levies.
And apart from the question of no support in fixed rate of jet fuel, government is not making dollar available for the airlines to carry out their operations. To this end therefore, it would seem like the airlines are being undermined.
During a recent visit to the Honorable Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, the AON Chairman in the company of a delegation of members called on the Honourable Minister of State for Aviation (HMSA) promised to use his respected office to bear on all those concerned to urgently address the crippling fuel shortage and to come up with a lasting solution, even if it means AON getting forex allocation directly from government to import its own fuel as it is currently being done with PMS.
The Minister assured the delegation of his understanding and promised to look into the matter.“I have mentioned the problem to the GMD of NNPC and there were plans to get the Port Harcourt and Kaduna Refineries on-stream before the end of the 2016 to begin to refine Jet A1 locally so as to make the product more readily available at an affordable price,” Sirika disclosed.
The AON Chairman, Capt. Nogie Meggison therefore appealed for the government to please note that  the operations of domestic airlines is one of the main stay and a pivot for any country’s economy as well as a catalyst for recovery of the fragile Nigerian economy. “We are looking forward to the Honourbale Minister of State for Aviation to come up with a quick fix before the Nigerian airlines are pushed or forced out of business,” he submitted.
AON.