Zuwy's Pandora

When I was a kid, I used to watch herdsmen guide their cattle around, often times in my village bushes in Ubuneke Ivbiaro in Owan East LGA of Edo state, at my grand mother's farm and some other times within town. Were they destructive? absolutely! that was almost a given, that usually infuriates locals who have toiled to have their farms to the level it was before the destruction. These cases were considered minor infractions, annoying as they were, to some extent that was bearable because, if you were on your farm at that moment you can at least shoo the herdsmen and their cattle away from your farmland (not a mean feat though). Usually the herdsmen that accompany cattle are circa four (4) persons or less, more often than not comprising of an adult, two teenage and pre-teen looking chaps. Then on their backs they carry a sheath with knives/sword and/or bow and arrow  as their weapon of protection, up until recently. Nowadays? not anymore!!!! they go around with about six (6...

Weekly Review 3 Feb 2015 OBAMA BREAKS RANKS WITH SENATE OVER PTC  In the last week Clean Energy Pipeline has tracked: 7 VC/PE  deals worth  $32.1m 13 M&A  deals worth  $2,785.2m 13 Project / Asset Finance  deals worth  $1,932.9m 2 Public Market  deals worth  $188.7m View the weekly PDF report containing a full list of transactions we have tracked. The US government is again divided on the future of the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind energy, as new figures show that US onshore wind installations rose four-fold in 2014 following the expiry of the incentive at the end of 2013. US President Barack Obama’s 2016 Budget proposal, which was unveiled yesterday, includes a plan to permanently extend the PTC, the main source of financial support in place for wind energy generation. The PTC was extended temporarily in December 2014, to be implemented retroactively throughout 2014. A longer-term extensi...

If you live in Abuja, here are tips to dealing with police harassment 1. Ensure that you're absolutely right 2. Have this number ready it's for FCT command 08032003913 call it 3. Be ready to sacrifice a few minutes At the Berger junction round about, I was driving and minding my business some rag tag police stopped me, and he screamed "Park! Park!!" I asked "officer what's the problem ?" He goes " Open your door let me enter!!" I asked "Officer what exactly would you be doing inside my car?" I continued "this is how you get filmed" he goes "ok, why don't you have plate numbers? " Like a good citizen I flashed the permit The VIO gave me and my particulars. He snatched it and walked away. So very calmly I pulled over, got out and locked my car. So I walked up to him to read me my charges. He insisted that my offence was lack of plate numbers, then I asked him "officer are you sure" he said y...

Now the NGF retreat is concluded a lot of issues raised, questions and complaints! I cannot say everything was addressed satisfactorily. It appears every one is talking of the blessings or curses of our oil wealth, to add to that the experts that were invited were all talking oil and nothing more. I heard Kayode Fayemi say he wants the oil to dry up, and I say sir, the presence of oil is not stopping you from exploring other sources of income, if anything it should enhance your exploring other sources. He also mentioned tax and how a few end up paying, while I agree completely with him as a source of income, but he can still look inward, government should not live by tax alone! Gov Chibuike Amaechi of course being from the oil region disagreed with oil drying up bit. He said there are enough resources in other regions and spoke of working the land enough to get 3000 hectares that can employ 3000 northern youths for instance, that would make it difficult for Boko haram to recruit a...

Impunity is the bane of our country! I say this because, corruption is in every country but it depends on how the system deals with either decisively or in a lukewarm manner. Now this is what sets Nigeria apart from many countries.  In other places like China,  corruption is dealt with decisively,  does it mean they are saints? No! It shows their commitment to bring it to the barest minimum.  In Nigeria however,  you become some sortof hero! A strange trend has taken over our polity in recent times. When people or public officers are are accused of corruption the ethnic tribe of such people come out in defence of the corrupt.  They forget however that the casualties of the evil deeds of those they defend are we the people! Now imagine? Why would Prof travel to Kano by road? Or if universities were in session would he even need to travel? I know deaths is inevitable but still it's painful when it occurs in a senseless and avoidable manner Who knows? Pr...

http://azdailysun.com/news/world/africa/nigeria-farmers-lose-million-to-uprising/article_1511fb1d-37db-55b2-b7ab-71aace370235.htmlBy Haruna Umar Farmers in northeastern Nigeria have lost 3 billion naira ($18.75 million) in food crops because of an Islamic uprising that has terrorized the region for the past three years, the chairman of a state farmers' association said Monday. Hundreds of farmers have been killed or forced to abandon rice and other crops ready for harvesting or just planted, Muhammed Namadi, the Borno State Farmers Association chairman said. He spoke in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital and a former insurgent stronghold. Without immediate relief, farmers in Borno, who already live with abject poverty, insecurity and isolation, could also face widespread hunger. "We have suffered a great deal as farmers in the last three years," Namadi said, asking the state to provide farmers with money and equipment. "Many young and old farmers have been forc...

The Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme is a wonderful idea which delivers farm inputs via electronic medium to pre-registered farmers directly through their phones. The fact that middle men have seemingly been eliminated from the system, thereby getting to the target of importance which is the farmer is commendable. However, I find some taking points interesting; 1.       The according to the minister, he said “Some people think that our farmers are uneducated and cannot use cell phones. The evidence does not support that”. Right! So if this is the case one would expect that these farmers would already have phones and don’t need one.  2.        There are farmers already registered on this scheme, does it register their phones or the SIM?   Because it is possible to affix the SIM on another phone and the number would remain the same. Or are these phones going to be equipped with special features that th...