₦airaland Forum

EFCC is really working over time. Timpriye, Soludo, some dumb yahoo boys and now this guy.

wonder who's next? Thx to EFCC, the long awaited Naija revolution has started. Way to go EFCC! get rid of all the vermin

[quote author=A-40]Lol Phil Jackson would not be 4 games below .500 I can tell you that. Plus he worked with Gasol and an oft injured Bynum which is no different from playing with Howard. Jackson is a smart dude if the Lakers where a lost case he would not throw his hat into the ring[/quote]Jackson is a very cunning fox. If he wanted to comeback he would. IMHO, I'm not sure he was 100% committed about coaching this roster. We'll never know why the Lakers decided to go for D'Antoine instead of Jackson

[quote author=A-40]Naah there are a lot of teams with more average players and weaker rosters that are doing much better. That team is badly coached! You have a coach that's not playing to his player's strengths
You can't place a finger on what he has improved since joining LA[/quote]Compared to Thunder, Spurs, Clippers, Grizzlies even Golden state the Lakers roster is considerably weak. Aside from starters (Kobe, Nash, Howard, Gasol & Peace) talent wise this team is below average for the competitive west. Initially we all got carried away that with the starting unit but people did not pay attention to the bench

Roland17: The bolded is where i completely disagree with u.

So you think Phil Jackson can salvage the situation?

No doubt the starters are very talented but simply not meshing; Gasol and Howard aren't playing well together. Also they don't have an athletic wing player and the bench is very weak.

esperiense: Refilling is always better all times except in cases where its not possible to be done, this will be known by yo dentist.

Also root canal treatment. People really dread this operation but it ensures you keep your teeth instead of removal.

[quote author=A-40]Unless they make a trade before the All-star break and fire D'Antoni they probably won't make the playoffs they face San Antone tonight OKC on Friday they could easily be 6 games below .500 but their case aint as bad as the Mavs. I'm really impressed with the Rockets and how Harden is firing that offense[/quote]$82 million per year on their starting 5 alone. Yes they need to trade but who wants to do a trade with the Lakers? I don't see any players on the bench that any team wants either. Is Peace (Attest) even worth $7.5 million a year? I think he's the best trade option. This team now reminds me of the Knicks during Isiah Thomas days: Huge contracts, untradeable players and constant losing.

This is a roster issue not a coaching problem. Can't believe Lakers are in danger of not making the playoffs

[quote author=الملكي فوق الله]^---Word?

Oh Shitt...

Time to Search The Web.

I heard he said something about his wife...but i didn't know it was about a future divorce...Damnnnn[/quote]That Lala tastes like honey nut cheerios. Seriously how do you taste a wife? Is KG now tasting wives instead of playing defense? No wonder the C's are sub 500 team

And why would you any guy marry a girl called Lala? This is too confusing for me; better stick to basketabll

[quote author=A-40]Man and to think I had the Lakers as favorites! Da phock was I thinking?

This team sucks!! They lack chemistry and Mike Brown would probably be laughing to the bank and at the Lakers at the same damn time[/quote]Don't get too hard on yourself. Most experts also picked this team to reach the west finals or the finals; well that's not happening. They need to clear their garbage bench and get rid of Metta Peace (still prefer to call him Ron "knucklehead" Attest) who is just clogging up cap space.

This team needs players like Harden, Crawford or JR Smith who can come off the bench to score in bunches plus a hard nosed defender like Tony Allen. So a trade may still help turn things around. I think Rudy Gay might be a good fit but can't see the Grizs trading him.

[quote author=A-40]Still think the Clips would struggle against San Antone and Durantula[/quote]oh yeah! so far they're 2- 0 against the Spurs and only lost in OT to Thunders early in the season.

This team is playing really well. But cos it's the Clippers people are expecting the other shoe to drop and something terrible will happen. Mother luck has never been kind to them. Maybe, just maybe this is the year of the Clips.

Can't believe the Clippers are on a tear. 16 straight wins. wow! That Donald Sterling the stingiest and perhaps the worst owner in the NBA is getting some success is truly amazing.

Seriously this team is loaded. With Odom, Billups & Jamal Crawford coming off the bench, they should make some noise in the playoffs. Till then let's wait and see if this team stands the test of time. Hopefully, they can finally get out from under the shadow of big brother (Lakers)

Roland17: If for any reason Carlisle is fired, then its time for Cuban to give up the Mavs, the coach is helpless, look at the team, O.J Mayo's numbers have dropped drastically.....

Well Cuban got too clever by half and disbanded a championship team for financial flexibility. He should have given that 2010 team a chance to defend. He is getting got what he deserves

Of all the guys that won only Dirk, Marion and Beabois remain on the team. This team is not even in rebuilding mode but a collection of over the hill players (Brand, Kaman)and some spare parts.

The only guy I feel for is Dirk. He doesn't deserve this. I Say he demands a trade NOW to a contender and let Cuban wallow in this rot

[quote author=A-40]By all accounts D'Antonii has been worse than Brown tho. His only excuse is the absence of Nash and Gasol and I feel his pain to an extent! Chris Duhon should not be starting at PG on any team in this league. Why don't they get Jose Calderon?[/quote]Calderon is worse. Dude can't play defense that's why he's coming off the bench for the lowly Raptors

Roland17: Am off to bed very angry

cos the C's lose again

Roland17: Bro, i was confident coming into this season, with the acquisition of a Lee, Barbosa, Terry, Rookie Sulinger and returning green, but after 5 games i knew we would struggle all through the season and the reason is "rebounding (Offensive and defensive) and also rotation and weak side defense", we have been out-rebounded by every team we have played with thus far, K.G is the only player that keeps that defense tight, whenever he goes to the bench for a rest, the team collapses and you can't replace K.G as far as am concerned.

C.Lee is struggling to define himself in this team, i wish he would stick to being aggressive, especially going to the rim, rather than wait for the three's, he's a good defender but we miss A. Bradley soooooo much, Defending without fouling is something rookie Sulinger still has to learn, he accumulates too much foul, J. Terry i believe would blend very well next season, he's maturity on the court is something i love soo much, Green is coming on, albeit slowly, but who can question him, he had a heart surgery last year, that Kid has got mind.
Barbosa loves to go to the rim, thats his style, but so far his play time has been restricted.

Hey!!! K.G is 36, 17 years in the league, Healthier/ more active than his many of his peers considering the likes of Wade, Paul Peirce is 35, 14 years in the League also healthier and more active than his peers, they would definitely slow down, but am very impressed with both of them.

All in all, no one expects this team to challenge, but that's what they said last year and we made it to the conference finals, some might be quick to remind me of the Knicks, but i would leave that to the post season.

I hear you bro. I just think the window is almost closed for this team to win it all. Talking of missed opportunities: Losing Perks in 2010 finals or stinking up the joint in last year's game 6 with the Heat?

I love the C's too and pains me that K.G. & Pierce may not win a 2nd ring. No one else on that team possess the leadership & tenacity these 2 guys bring every night. Rondo? Nope

Roland17: Double overtime for a home victory against a stubborn O.J Mayo and the Mavs, thank God for the turnovers by the Mavs, Without K.G our defense is just whack, he must be dead drained after this game, am so not buying this new idea of leaving last second clutch shots to Rando, keep it with Pierce, he showed why he's the TRUTH.

Needed overtime to beat a Dirkless Dallas team? Why are the Celtics struggling this year? I look at the their roster and I'm thinking this team is good. So far I'm disappointed. Can't believe K.G. and Pierce are running out of gas. Yes, they lost Allen but they replaced him with a solid shooter (Jet) and better defender (Courtney Lee). They even have the Brazilian blur.

very puzzling team

Are the Knicks for real? Sitting atop the East, yet to lose at home and Jason kiddd discovers the fountain of yourh. What a story!

Amare coming back is not the main issue but with nut heads like JR Smith & Rasheed this team can still implode. We'll see. Gotham cIty is on a high right now but....

r231: Capital NO

How can the Lakers keep up with OKC, SAS, Memphis, or Clippers? They cant even keep up with the Cavs

Writing off the Lakers in Dec? Once upon a time in 2002, the Lakers stimbled out of the gate and wenf on to win it all. I say wait till after the all stars games, then....

So this old man stole a phone from a small boy! wonders will never end. Truly hunger will drive a man to do crazy things

Men! just can't stop laughing when I see the old man's pic

blkmum700: Every Electrical Electronic student should be able to teach Further Mathematics.

Partly true. Yes, he/she may be a subject matter specialist but not have the skills to teach. Ability to communicate and break down complex concepts that can be easily understood by Junior/High school kids is what makes a great teacher. There is some validity to the claim by the Teacher's Council.

Roland17: Oooo come on Man, are u really serious about this Knick thing they are a shooting team, they live and die by 3 points with a huge turn over ratio, they do not play any form of defense, their defenders foul out before the end of the 4th quarter, those shots would not fall every day and i still maintain my stance about them being a first round, at best second round post season team.

Am not buying that circus...

The Celtics pierced my heart tonight, a triple double by Rando, but we should have won that game, we are over reliant on K.G, but i loved the performance, especially defensively as a unit.

They've got great shooters but I don't believe they're just a shooting team. Two nights ago the Heat there were so many openings. the Heat's 3 point defense was atrocious. In fact I think this year, the Heat is one of the worst team defending the 3 point shot. '

Lets wait couple of months and see how good the knicks are. But tell you man this team is loaded and right now are scary. Rasheed brings a certain edge to this team. Bosh and Joel Anthony were simply brushed aside. And trust Sheed with his trash talking. With a weak eastern conference they should be at the top 3. Remember the Knick have guys that have seen it all in the playoffs and even won rings.

[quote author=A-40]I remember telling a ninja on this thread that the Knicks may be on to something. This is the 2nd beatdown they are handing the Heat already this season this time in Miami sans Melo sans Stoudemire! The first game sans Stoudemire
I think one of the best decisions they made in a long time was not falling for the Linsanity hype.
Felton has been a massive upgrade so far.
At a point they need to look at themselves and realize they are better than getting slapped around by the Heat and Celts. Cos they have the talent and the depth and Mike Woodson is a very good coach



Where else can he go??


Lool Kobe is the exception not the norm

The Heat do need Wade to be Wade as LeBron has shown us in the past that he can't do it by his lonesome[/quote]I also thought not signing Lin was a mistake; not anymore. That was a smart move by Dolan. Did Dolan made a smart decision or luck?

Seriously this Knicks roster is so weird. They've got the 4 of leagues' oldest player (Kidd, Wallace, Camby & Thomas), 3 players with rings and 2 top players (Amare & Anthony) chasing their first ring.

Still early days yet so I'll wait until after the all star break for a better sense on this team. But that game last night? wow! what can I say

Sincere 9gerian: I'm surprised you'r falling for the cheap propaganda of these internet bandits. No matter how you look at it, a score of 27 over 100 is better than a score of 2.4 over 10. Forget the stupid formula @Gbawe.,was trying to push. Any formula outside the official ranking by TI is nonsense. I can only be objectively convinced that there was no improvement in our ranking if it can be shown that the 6 or 7 countries not including in this year ranking were ALL ranked ABOVE Nigeria in 2011(which is almost impossible). Otherwise, the propagandist have no case. Also, you need to also take into consideration the MASSIVE propaganda to PORTRAY Nigeria as the MOST corrupt country in the world by DIE HARD anti-GEJ elements? This is important because even the TI ranking is based mostly on PERCEPTION. This can only be likened to SCREAMING THIEF,THIEF at a man who is struggling to build a better image. In that sort of scenerio, how do you know the man has changed for the better? Therefore, if you minus the massive propaganda, Nigeria would have done better. Even if, without conceding, that the country maintained the same position as last yr, DESPITE the ONSLAUGHT and PROPAGANDA, that itself is progress. The full weight of the propaganda this yr was enough to push the ranking of Nigeria down to the MOST CORRUPT country in the world.
Anyway, i strongly believe that our ranking in 2013 will be much better because the propagandists are already exhausting all their arsenal.

The TI made changes to their methodology in 2012. See FAQ below. So don't place too much value to any small change. Let's wait to see 2013 numbers.
http://www.transparency.org/cpi2012/in_detail#myAnchor7

Nevertheless, corruption continues to bring undue hardship and poverty in Nigeria and the ruling elite (especially this govt) has no desire nor will to tackle this cancer.

Sincere 9gerian: Make no mistake about it. Some of us are not 'celebrating' the latest TI ranking even though those who see themselves as sworn enemies of the govt of the day 'celebrate' negative news, some of which are MANUFACTURED. However, my point is that the positive news should also be reported, just the same way negative news(whether manufactured or not) are reported. Is that TOO MUCH to ask?

This is not positive news, its same 'ol same 'ol. Leave aside this ranking and ask yourself, sincerely (since that's your name) if you know any positive move by Jonathan to fight corruption?

Read the 2013 budget proposal for instance to get a flavor of the rot with this govt. The budget is riddled with line items that's only "money for the boys". Set aside over N900 million on food, refreshment for President & VP
http://www.budgetoffice.gov.ng/2013-budget_details/1.%20Summary_Presidency.pdfsal

PointB: What is the point of going 5 years back, when the government you have built your argument on is barely 2 years old? Do you believe it is reasonable to blame the current regime for corrupt practices of incidents of 5 years ago? I think not.

What I expected objective critic to do is to compare the TI rating of last year with this rating to conclude if under the current government, it is indeed getting worse or better. Any other comparison, such as you proposed, is mischievous and lack objectivity!

This isn't about Jonathan. He's a status quo leader and has never demonstrated the will to fight corruption. He doesn't have the mental fortitude; that's his nature. Unfortunately, Nigerians voted for him and for better for worse, are stuck with him for the next 2 yrs.

No my concern is that anyone Nigerian can accept this mediocre ranking as improvement. Remember, this is only a perception index that's akin to a poll or research. We're still rocking at the bottom with the Pakistanis and Tajikistans after all hue and cry by Jonathan. Corruption is so pervasive in our country that one miniscule movement changes nothing. No serious person should pay attention to this latest ranking.

taharqa: This is d most FOOOLISH comment here; well done. 'if you ask Nigerians they will tell u that corruptn is same or even worse dan 15yrs ago', *smh*. Who told does gullible Nigerians to think so (assuming it is even true) if not for the LIES and HALF-TRUTHS that goons like u churn out? Who shld we bliv: data from TI or data from desperate power mongers and dier agents? You, my frnd, mk Mr. Stu.pid look wise

TI result is ony one data source. Smart minds will analyze and ovrelay with information elsewhere to get a picture of what's happening. Dumb people (like you) imbibe the data and accept it as gospel truth without putting things in context. Bet you don't understand that

Corruption facts: We spend billions of Naira every year on lawmakers to do nothing in Abuja.

PointB: Isn't it better that we hold bragging right over them, than for them to hold it over us? Or are you just criticizing for the sake of it? To the extent that marginal improvement count for noting in your book, but a drop will suit you better?

Guy, if the guy on the street measure stuff by their belly, must you join them? Isn't it your duty to objectively analyze issue, in such a manner that differentiate you from the guy on the street? Corruption and looting is not on the rise, unless you believe in the propaganda sold to the guy on the street. On the contrary, corruption and looting are been exposed rather than the grand cover up we were used to in the past.

Thanks to transparency in the current regime, we now have an idea how much is spent annually at Aso Rock for feeding and entertainment of staff and guests. Do you know how was spent during Obj and Yar Adua era for same purpose? I guess not!

But objective people hear the figures, and scream "looting", folks like us see the same and start with "transparency" before further analysis. I guess, that's where the difference lies between propaganda and objective criticism. Nuff said!

Comparing 2 data points (last yr vs. this year) is not a trend. Let's see the next 4 - 5 yrs if our score continues to improve. That's how you judge improvement in transparency level. You want to celebrate the 27 score? go ahead, that's ok

The bolded: Now we know Nigeria is spending an obscene amount for feeding a corrupt govt machine. And even with the knowledge and acceptance that N 1 billion is too high, did Jonathan slash the feeding and other wasteful spending? And yet you accept corruption level is improving. Gee! The kool aid served by this govt is made of potent stuff

kulutempa: Point of correction sir.

2011: 143rd out of 182 countries 182 - 143 = 39th most corrupt country (39 places from Somalia the most corrupt)

2012: 139th out of 176 countries 176- 139 = 37th most corrupt country (37 places from Somalia the most corrupt)

39 from the bottom to 37 from the bottom means you are going down the rankings not improving. In relative terms and compared to other basket cases, we have actually done worse

I'm talking level of transparency; you mean the opposite (corruption). The more transparent a country is perceived to be, the higher it scores and ranks. So Denmark is the cleanest and scores 90 while Nigerian is one of the most corrupt and scores 27

You're looking at the table from below. No sweat. Message is the same: corruption level is very high in Nigeria

jmaine: Increased ranking means nothing . . .But decreased rating is good enough to mastvbate recklessly init . . . The kind of steez we entertain all in the name of being called a critic

On corruption, most Nigerians are realist but a few are delusional. Let the govt celebrate this result all night long; We all know matter for ground.

PointB: Yet we must call a spade a spade. The country amass 27% as against 24% it achieved last time around. Slice or dice it anyhow you like, it is an improvement. Lest we forget, it was the same TI that once rated Nigeria the worst performer in the time past. Do we accept their rating when it suits our agenda of destruction criticism, and refuse it when it confutes it. With such duality, are we then better than the one we seek to 'correct' (that's if the intention is not sinister)

No one said the government has done enough stamp out corruption. But the argument raised by most objective poster is that 'there is an improvement' at least in the level of transparency. Is it enough, certainly not as more can and should be done. But painting doom and gloom and claiming things are worse to the extent of bandying mischievous figures as total money stolen by the current government as done by the Punch Newspaper is as callous as it is fallacious. In the end those who bandied such fallacy in the name of criticizing the government create more problem than the intend to solve.

Today, adept Nigerians recognise Sahara Reporters as purveyor of lies and propaganda. Won't it be sad if Punch and other normally reliable news media join in this ignoble practice.

Again, criticism should be balance, and objective should prevail. And it is in that respect that we must first recognize 27 as an improvement over 24 in the TI ranking and give credit to whom it due rather than peddling entrenched prejudice.

Holding bragging rights over countries like Eritrea, Somalia or Tajikistan is improvement? We're still neck and neck with Pakistan, a perennial offender and true symbol of corruption.

Ask Nigerians on the street if they believe the level of corruption has reduced compared to say 15 yrs ago. They'll tell you Same or getting worse. People only believe what they see. Everyday na the same thing: Corrupt politicians looting the treasury (on the rise); Custom officers exhorting money (still rising); Govt officials demanding bribes to provide service (still a way of life).

This improved ranking means nothing. Election is in 2 yrs time, so expect our ranking to fall in 2014/2015. And I'm sure you know why.

Now the issue of banning Okada has turned into tribal chest beating and mudslinging

No matter the city Enugu, Aba, Lagos or Kaduna these bikers have become a menace and should be banned. Given the population and importance of Lagos, its more urgent.

People need to chill and remember that Lagos is not a Yoruba enclave. It's a vibrant city that’s thriving due to the diversity of tribes who call this city home. I say this as a Yoruba who grew up in Lagos.