una well done oh.

Been a while since I 'branched' here so I decided to show face.

I am going to eat so much food this Christmas that I'm getting ready with pre-Christmas gym sessions. The food go hear am!

ono:

The problem is that I don't trust all the abracadabra arithmetic that is the Nigerian government and their officials' way of calculating stuff - in any case, I don't trust anyone in government in Nigeria. Sorry, this deregulation excuse will not cut it for a sound explanation, debosky. It's fraught with corruption and shady deals. I don't want to start digging up things to buttress my points on deregulation. No time.

Well, if you don't want to get into the details the FG will continue to pull the wool over your eyes.

All I know is that if the price of fuel is falling everywhere, why is Naija's fuel price still so high - more than N100 naira?

No - fuel prices aren't falling everywhere. They are falling in countries where the government does not regulate and subsidise the cost of fuel. In countries like Egypt/India, the governments are cutting back the amount of subsidy and prices are remaining the same.

If we had a transparent government, they would be able to tell us how much subsidy payments have reduced since the oil price started dropping, and how this additional funds were going to be used elsewhere.

WhiteTechnology:



How much is a litre of fuel in US and Europe petrol stations

Convert it to naira in order to get a possible reasonable price of fuel since we import refined fuel from these areas

Not quite - in Europe especially there are high taxes (e.g. fuel duty) applied on petrol so that wouldn't necessarily be a good comparison. You'd have to deduct the tax portion before you can arrive at a reasonable estimate of what the price should be.

7lives:


What subsidy?, anyway Nigerians deserve what befalls them subsidy ko subservient ni.

What subsidy? Are you aware of the cost price of providing refined petroleum products to you at the pumps compared to what you pay?

Or do you think 97 naira is the cost price of the petrol you're buying?

Y'all can't have things both ways - as long as you insist on the FG subsidising petroleum products for our consumption then the price will not move freely with the oil price.

This is the time to call for deregulation - if y'all didn't decide to 'Occupy Nigeria' when some of us wanted deregulation to happen then we'd have seen a drop and less money coming out of our pockets by now.

By the way - cost price is nowhere near N50/litre so what exactly do you want? Low price? Fixed price? Cost price?

Good draw considering the options available - we were due a break after getting very tough opponents year after year.

I hope Chez has watched tapes of how De Gea frustrated Liverpool yesterday and is ready to do the same at the weekend.

Liverpool will be determined to get a result after their recent woes so we can't afford to be less than 100%, especially considering the mess that happened last season - revenge is very much needed.

Good performance, but I need this team to win 4-5 games on the trot before I can start taking them seriously again.

Up next Liverpool - with their poor run of late there's really no reason why we shouldn't beat them. But then again this is the Arsenal we're talking about.

Glad to see Debuchy back and Giroud regaining his mojo. . . .I can't wait till we get Koscielny back and we get our first choice back 5 together for a run of games.

You no fit change - greet that your olosho balls massager for me.

wonlasewonimi:


Come on, I know everybody here. I saw debosky in front of debenhams one day like that, he was probably waiting for his olosho . I buy my moinmoin and agege bread from there too. I live in the south jare just passing by ni

What is a debenhams? Is that a beer parlour in Onitsha or something?

Surprise surprise - play 2 complete novices (Martinez and Bellerin) a RB as a CB and move the other CB to a different position and you get tonked.

Wenger's hubris coming back to bite in spades.

kashmo:


No need to rub it in bro, as we all know this is an anomaly for you. You go soon go join your fellow strugglers (Ibime & Debo) dem

After failing to touch my team for nearly half the season so far, I need to sit up and begin my renaissance.

^^two games in a new league is hardly enough to make a judgment on.

As for Marrinez, so far so good - but he should at best be an FA Cup keeper till Ospina returns. He's done okay but hasn't really been tested either. I recall Mannone having a similar run a few years ago and some we're hailing him excessively then as well.

My big worry is Alexis - he is in the 'red zone' according to Wenger, yet he's still playing game after game. If he gets crocked we'll be in deep shyte.

Hehehehe Jesus will come back before this tithe matter will be put to bed. Una well done!

@ Director of Defence

As long as we have poor midfielders like Flamini and Arteta I don't see it happening. We simply don't have the midfielders with the ability/physique to manage that. Sanchez played more like a 10 in a 4-2-3-1 but he did play close to Welbz. I doubt if even can play 4-4-2 till we get an on form Rambo + say a quality, high energy midfielder beside him like you said

However because our midfielders are so poor we are stuck with playing 3 in midfield most games.

I'm more interested to see what happens when we have Walcott, Alexis, Welbz and Ox all available - if we push teams back with pace and power we'll have a chance even without strong DMs.

I'm glad we don't have CC to play this week - the lack of defenders is just abysmal at the moment that we can't afford to lose any more defenders.

Hehe not to worry SB...if I join the jet set I'll definitely invite you to come along.

Đk note that we're allowed to have multiple interests

StarBoard:

and what would winning it be?

Beating all the other Lexus drivers.

Which could be likened to the "undrive-able" Lexus.
You have something you cannot use and you are forming status.

Not really - till a team is knocked out, they can still win it. Neither Liverpool nor Arsenal have been knocked out.

The easiest way would be to win your home games.

Agreed.

Again it's no rocket science.
Maybe after match day 4 when Liverpool still have 3 points from 4 games and needing a miracle to qualify will the reality of the CL sink in.

Till then - even needing a miracle is no reason to lose hope, just ask Ludogorets who qualified even with 10 men and no goalkeeper.

Dear 'tithers after Abraham' - why is a 'one-off' tithe not sufficient as an example after Abraham? Must it be monthly out of salary etc? Abi una dey fight wars monthly to get your salary (soldiers exempted of course)?

How many times must one tithe 'by faith' to have followed the example of Abraham? Once, twice? A hundred?

If we have inherited Abraham's blessings (i.e. the same that applies to those that paid tithe in his loins) why do we need to pay what has already been paid?

moca:
I don come again o,aunty
I now remembered something that has been worrying me a lot since I heard it.

A lady of 8yrs plus marriage confided in me that her hubby has never slept a day with her without sex.
Except during menses.
She is no longer giving birth o.
I used to read stories about this but don't know its true.

As in every night?
Chukwu ekwela!

Is that man mentally ok?

I read somewhere that people with such energy when directed towards other chanels r super productive.
So d problem is how to make this man direct his ikwokilikwo energy to other productive venture.
Like what?
He is very hardworking and wealthy.
That I heard, is his only wahala.
I tire o.
Marriage with its never ending wahalas.

E nor get meter so let the hubby continue to fire down!

It's good that such energy is kept in-house instead of sowing wild oats recklessly all in the name of showing restraint.

The guy dey try though - every day? His waist muscles must be like thick ropes.

StarBoard:

No further comments at the emboldened.
If Ludo-whatever is your idea of a Lexus, I'd rather walk.

Nah, the Lexus is CL participation - you don't get to choose your opponents. Even mighty Real will have to play Ludogorets.

Na your Arsenal dey everly stroll for UCL since na to mark register for UCL be their own every year. At least we at United have titles in this competition as well as Forest and Villa. That is the status, not this hot sun air you are blowing here.Where is Arsenal's European trophy?

Simple answer - ' get am before' no be property.

Every simpleton knows the basic thing to do for qualification is to win your home games. Stop bringing issues that don't existinto this argument. You ain't a novice even if you support the SI Unit for failure in Europe.

The basic thing to do is get the points - regardless of whether it's at home or away. Besides, Liverpool has won a home game, so your point is moot on both fronts.

StarBoard:

of What use is a lexus if you can't drive it?
Why qualify for the champions league if you can't win your home games?

They beat Ludogorets didn't they? Besides, where is the rule written that you 'must' win your home games? Qualification for the next round is key.

Whether you can drive the Lexus or not, the status remains.

Could it be that a non-CL club like United has fans that are criticising Liverpool for losing to Real Madrid?

It's like the case of a man walking down the road laughing at another man whose lexus has a flat tyre.

^^ Both Ramsey and Jack were abysmal, unbelievably so. The whole team is struggling and rudderless at the minute so it's quite worrying.

If you take away Gibbs, Chambers and El Nino Maravilla and we'd be in an even deeper mess.

On a different note - while it's early days yet, I hope all the 'why spend £16m on Welbeck when you can get Balotelli' crew are at least contemplating they may have been wrong on that count.

In the cold light of day I didn't really care how we won yesterday - just that we did. 6 points is much more comfortable and if we can beat Anderlecht at the Emirates we should be pretty much guaranteed qualification.

When Buhari supporters are talking about 'maintaining exchange rate' and paying 80% of our debt (which was clearly much smaller compared to revenue and demands in the 80's) as a basis for voting him in, you know we've got a problem on your hands.

Are you living in 1984 or in 2014?

Gbawe:

Kwankwaso is the only realistic option yet he is a gamble also unlikely to poll 25%-40% of the votes Buhari can in the North.

Again with the personality cult - why can't Buhari throw his weight behind RK? Or will Buhari supporters ONLY vote for Buhari?

All in all, why gamble when Buhari will guarantee all you want to see?

What 'guarantee' does Buhari offer? Has he defeated any PDP politician in his entire electoral history even when the 'changed landscape' is considered?

Why are you so uncomfortable with Buhari as President when he may be the best chance of gaining a President who will guarantee you see our youngest, most articulate and most vibrant leaders in positions of influence and "transformation" on a scale never seen before in the history of Nigeria?

Why/how does Buhari guarantee we will see the youngest, most articulate and most vibrant leaders? What evidence do we have to support this outlandish assertion? How are we to believe this when a man in his 70's has not identified any visible successor to carry forward his vision? Is it when he turns 80 that he will do so?

Gbawe:

It is obvious you have a problem with Buhari and are simply doing all that is possible to make the crime fit the man but the part in bold is clearly ridiculous and patronising of the intelligence of Nairalanders. Do you know the conditions Buhari contested under in the past and the real state of of affairs then? Are things the same today?

What problem do you think I have with Buhari? As a hint, I voted for Buhari in the 2003 elections (over 10 years ago).

So as we do not draw this out too long, can I ask if you know what obtains in many nations of the world with two very strong political Parties competing against each other always like the USA, UK and even Ghana next door to us? Power tends to swing easily between those two Parties when the electorate is dissatisfied with the performance of the ruling Party.
When, since Buhari has been contesting and losing elections, has Nigeria had two very strong Parties competing against each other? Has it not been the big-for-nothing PDP monopolising power and rigging elections since 1999 because other Parties were simply too little, too disunited and inconsequential to give them a proper fight? Dude, when you do not even recognise the ultra-pivotal point I have made above for yourself, and continue only to focus on Buhari's past in total disregard for how the political climate of Nigeria is vastly different today to what it was even in 2011, then I do not think anyone needs to give you even more salient reason (and there are many) why the Buhari who lost elections in the past is now the same man capable of securing a landslide victory against the PDP. Your bias against Buhari is the sort that clouds objective reasoning and ignores/disregards reality.

Cool your jets Gbawe - you talk as if Buhari has already won the nomination of APC. If Buhari doesn't win its nomination what will he do? Accept the outcome or leave in an attempt to actualise his ambition elsewhere?

I am well aware of the changes in the political climate and that is the reason why I do not want this monumental opportunity wasted by presenting Buhari as the candidate. We can do much, much better.

In over 15 years of this democratic experiment it is ludicrous to think that the only/best alternative to the PDP is an ex-military ruler from the 80's who is approaching 80 himself.

Demdem:


Good. Now give us specific names ( 1 or 2 should be OK) that has the potential to defeat the current curse in aso rock and his rigging machinery.
Realistic names that are ready to run for elections.
Let's consider ur examples.

There are numerous other candidates in the APC - the key is for the party (including Buhari) to rally round and raise votes for whoever the party selects as its flag bearer. This thread isn't about floating other potential candidates.

That's the main problem many of you fail to grasp - you think an individual's vote pulling ability is the key to winning. Despite Buhari's personal popularity he has lost each and every election he has contested. That should give you food for thought.

The PDP doesn't win elections because of it's candidates' overwhelming popularity, they win because they can mobilise the electorate across the country not just in certain corners of the North. That is what any serious APC candidate will need to do.

Buhari is too old to be realistically considering the presidency. We've been there and done that with the 'he was a good military president' experiment - see Obasanjo.

I am not impressed one bit by the messianic qualities some of you attribute to him - he will be able to 'face' the cabals eh? You think this is the 1980s under a military government where you can summarily lock up anyone you don't like? If Buhari is so great why has he - 30 years after leaving office - been unable to raise up a protege? Why is it all about his individual qualities?

I repeat - we can do much, much better. The fact that Buhari got 12m votes in 2011 is not even close to sufficient reason to choose him if your aim is to defeat Goodluck. Those votes were largely religious/tribal based - what is appealing about that to the rest of the country?

GEJ - warts and all, was a change from what we had previously in ex-military presidents/their family members. He has failed in my view, but that is no reason to resort to an 80 year old man who has woefully lost each and every election he has contested in, his integrity credentials not withstanding.

I don't want to live like it's 1985 in 2015 - do you?

Electing Buhari would be retrogressive, even with all of GEJ's failings I would not support an ageing man whose only claim to credibility is 'integrity' from way back in the early-mid 80's when probably half the Nigerians alive right now were not even born.

I don't really doubt his integrity, but clearly we need far more than just integrity at this moment. Buhari's utterances on violence in the North are not exactly palatable (albeit blown out of proportion by the PDP). Nonetheless he is not a suitable candidate - he is from a different era and should be mentoring younger candidates.

I think we can do much, much, better.

Trouble maker.

Madness indeed - which is why I haven't been to a single game yet this season. I might try to go to one over the coming weeks but the price increases seriously need to get brakes put on.

Is this now a music thread?

Chelski fans rejoicing over beating Arsenal like they've won the 'we beat Arsenal cup'. Waste men.