ASUU STRIKE UPDATE: Pro-chancellors Orders Universities Open Nationwide

The Committee of Pro-chancellors of Nigerian
Federal Universities, on Tuesday, unanimously
ordered immediate re-opening of universities
across the country. The communiqué signed
by the Chairman of the Committee, Professor
Kimse Okoko, was made available to newsmen
late Tuesday in Abuja.



The communiqué was issued at the end of the
committee meeting to discuss the protracted
strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) and other issues affecting the Nigerian
university system.
The communiqué stated that the decision to
re-open the universities was unanimously
agreed by all pro-chancellors in the overall
interest of all concerned.
The pro-chancellors, in the communique,
directed all vice chancellors to comply with
the committee decision.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that the decision
of the pro-chancellors was predicated on the
earlier referendum held by various chapters
of ASUU that voted 60-40 in favour of
suspension of the over four months old
strike.
They expressed dismay that all efforts to
resolve the crisis, including the intervention
of President Goodluck Jonathan, has failed.
The communiqué recognised “all effort by
Federal Government to address the major
issues involved in the strike action including
the bold and the supportive intervention by
Mr President.”
It also stated that the committee noted “with
satisfaction the outcome of the referendum
conducted in all branches of ASUU nationwide
which voted 60-40 in favour of the
suspension of the ongoing strike by ASUU.”
The pro-chancellors called for the
understanding of ASUU and indeed all staff of
the various universities in Nigeria.
This order is coming on the heels of
polarisation that has already crept into the
ASUU, following the meeting they had with
President Goodluck Jonathan penultimate
week.
Nigerians were amazed that the emergency
National Executive Council meeting, held in
Kaduna last weekend, came out with fresh
conditions for suspension of strike after it
was rumoured that a deal was struck with
President Jonathan.
ASUU has been on strike since July 1 and the
NEC meeting was to deliberate on the
resolutions of various chapters of ASUU on
whether the strike should be suspended or
not based on the offers by the government.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that the pro-
chancellors were aggrieved that even when
majority of the members of ASUU want the
strike called off, few elements in the union
have refused to yield to the popular desire of
the members.
Meanwhile, the crisis rocking the University
of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter of ASUU, over its
continued participation in the ongoing strike
action by the union’s national body,
worsened on Tuesday as the two factions in
the crisis openly traded insults.
The congress, called on Monday, saw a sharp
division in the chapter with a faction
favouring a pull-out from the strike action,
giving a week ultimatum to open the
institution.
The faction also promised undisclosed further
actions if the ultimatum was not met, after it
held a separate congress following the
disruption of the earlier one.

Jackie Chan's only son will not inherit any of his father's money

Being the only son of international movie
star Jackie Chan clearly comes with many
privileges and advantages. Jackie Chan’s
only child, a 30 year old son named Jaycee,
lived a life filled with opulent mansions,
luxurious vacations, expensive cars, the
best education and much more.
Jaycee was even been able to launch his
very own singing and acting career thanks
to his famous father.
But there is one important thing that Jaycee
will not receive from his father. Jackie Chan
recently announced that upon his death, he
will donate 100% of his $130 million
fortune to charity and that his son Jaycee
will be left out entirely…
While accepting an award in Beijing, Jackie
was asked if Jaycee will inherit his massive
fortune some day. Jackie stated that he was
originally intending to donate half of his
wealth to charity and leaving his family the
other half but recently changed his will to
leave 100% for charitable causes
throughout the world.
The elder Chan explained: “If he is capable,
he can make his own money. If he is not,
then he will just be wasting my money.”
Jackie also expressed regret for not sending
Jaycee to the army where his son would
have received “life experience and
character.”
If Jaycee wants to continue living an
extravagant lifestyle, his career is going to
need a boost. Since 2004 Jaycee has
appeared in around 20 films, most of which
have been major flops.
Jaycee’s 2012 movie “Double Trouble”
became one of the biggest box office
failures in history grossing just $9000 at
the box office, despite heavy marketing and
promotion. He also starred alongside his
father in 2010′s “1911″ which became
Jackie’s worst performing movie ever.
Jackie is not the only celebrity who plans
on giving their fortune to charity instead of
their children.
Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Ebay founder
Pierre Omidyar are some of the more
notable billionaires who have pledged their
entire fortunes to charity.
Buffett is an especially staunch opponent of
what he calls “dynastic wealth” (wealth that
is so vast it creates generational dynasties).
Buffett refers to anyone who grew up
wealthy as a “member of the lucky sperm
club” and, like Jackie Chan, firmly believes
that if his children work hard enough they
can achieve great success the same way he
did.

Amazing World of Creativity:Artist Transforms Abandoned House Into A Giant Reminder To Live Life

A beautiful thing happened to Candy
Chang one day in New Orleans two years
ago. After losing a loved one, the artist
came up with an unconventional way of
dealing with the grief she was
experiencing. She decided to paint the
wall of an abandoned building in her
neighborhood, turning the exterior
surface into a giant chalkboard
emblazoned with the words "Before I die
I want to _."
Within 24 hours, that empty wall was
transformed into a giant homepage for
personal testimonials, as passersby
finished Chang's sentence with their own
reflections on life. The final result was a
collage of bucket list promises crafted by
anonymous individuals confessing their
aspirations to see a daughter graduate,
sing for millions or simply be themselves
completely.


"It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-
day and forget what really matters to
you," states a description on the "Before I
Die" website. "[Chang] wanted a daily
reminder and she wanted to know what
was important to the people around her."
Chang wasn't expecting the
overwhelming amount of responses she
received, and she quickly realized that
the phenomenon she had started in New
Orleans wouldn't stop in Louisiana. The
project had already spread across the
web, as people shared the image of the
"Before I Die" wall on social media. So,
upon demand, the artist created a "tool
kit" with downloadable stencils, allowing
admirers around the world to build their
own version of Chang's living sculpture.


Since 2011, more than 400 of these walls
have been built, spreading the simple
phrase to over 60 countries, in 25
different languages. Kazakhstan,
Denmark, Iraq, and South Africa all
have their own "Before I Die" wall, each
serving as a unique reminder to
contemplate not only death but the value
and meaning of life right now.
"Our public spaces are our shared spaces
and at their greatest, they can help us
make sense of the beauty and tragedy of
life with the people around us," the
"Before I Die" site declares.

This month, Chang's project will move
from the streets of international cities to
the pages of a book, published by St.
Martin's Press. Check out a preview of
the images included here, and let us
know how you'd answer Chang's big
question in the comments.

Photos from private party peter okoye hosted for his girl Anita Isama

Paul Okoye’s babymama and fiancee, Anita
Isama clocked plus one yesterday – Friday –
and her husband-to-be threw her a private
birthday bash on the Lagos Island.
Some of the notable faces in attendance
include Kate Henshaw, Karen Igho, Toke
Makinwa, Peter Okoye and Lola Omotayo.
See photos below:

Do you know If you visited a new beach in Australia every day, it would take you around 27 years to visit them all!

Australia is home to more than 10,000 beaches which is why the beautiful island is so closely associated with surfing and marine wildlife.
The beaches range from ones that are crowded by thousands of people, to beaches so small and remote that you can sit by your lonesome on the sand without a care in the world.
The geography in Australia is truly unique because many beaches have backdrops of bush and forest!
This diverse environment can bring a variety of wildlife as your sitting on the beach, soaking in some Vitamin D! You may see eucalypts, koalas, and other species native to Australia while you relax in the sand!
(Source)

Eminem's Childhood Home In Detroit Burns After Woman Tried To Purchase It

The Detroit home where Eminem spent
part of his childhood burned in a blaze
Thursday, just days after a woman
reportedly offered to purchase it and
turn it into a museum dedicated to the
rapper.
Firefighters responded to battle the fire at
the small, two-story bungalow just south
of 8 Mile Road at 6:20 p.m., the Detroit
Free Press reports. The boarded-up home
was on a street with numerous other
vacant homes and overgrown yards.
According to the Associated Press, an
immediate cause wasn't known for the
fire that damaged the top floor of the
house. A Detroit Free Press video shows
some of the aftermath:



Here's 19946 Dresden St. in September:



The house will look familiar to fans of
the Detroit MC. It appears on the cover of
Eminem's 2000 release "The Marshall
Mathers LP," and makes a comeback on
the cover of "The Marshall Mathers LP
2," released this week.
The vacant house has been up for auction
through the Michigan Land Bank for
months with an apparent minimum bid
of $1. But just Monday, MLive reported a
Tennessee woman was in the process of
bidding on the home, though her offer
had not yet been accepted by the
Michigan Land Bank. The news site
describes 28-year-old Shelly Hazlett as
an "avid Eminem fan" who wanted to
turn it into a museum dedicated to the
rapper.
Before falling into disrepair, the home
belonged to Eminem's mother for several
years, according to records obtained by
the Detroit Free Press. In her book My
Son Marshall, My Son Eminem , Deborah
Mathers spoke fondly of the house at
19946 Dresden St.
"Marshall loved it so much that he had a
model of it made to take on tour with
him," she wrote. "Even though we'd
moved a lot, he always said the house on
Dresden was his childhood home."
You can see Eminem walking on a dark
street past the boarded-up house at the
end of his video for "Survival," starting
at minute 4:06. It's hard to read the
stone-faced rapper's expression, but some
might say he almost looks wistful.

And These are the 7 crucial skills we need to survive in this life

None of us like to hear negative feedback
in any area of our lives. But in reality,
constructive criticism is really good for
drawing attention to areas that need
improvement in your life. Don’t be afraid
to ask your friends, boss or spouse about
their honest opinions.


1. DON’T COME OFF AS SELF-ABSORBED
I will tread with caution on this subject so
as not to offend. Because of the age we live
in and the explosion of social media
connections, many of us have become boxed
in to only a perception of reality, a.k.a. a
false front for our own lives. One of the
most crucial life skills is not to come across
as self-absorbed. I can’t tell you how much
it bothers me when women post beautiful
“selfies” constantly on social media sites. It
seems apparent that they are seeking
attention and fishing for compliments. For
me, it almost ruins my perception of that
person because I see them as self-absorbed,
or worse yet, insecure of themselves. A
couple of shots here and there are great,
especially if you’re feeling particularity
beautiful and confident that day- but don’t
overdue it because it’s just tacky.
2. RECEIVE COMPLIMENTS WELL
When genuine compliments are thrown
your way, it can be difficult to know how
to respond in an appropriate manner. I
think there’s a fear of agreeing with the
compliment, like you’ll come off as
narcissistic or arrogant. Or perhaps you just
don’t believe the compliment and simply
reject it outright. The best way to respond
when someone gives you a sweet remark, is
by genuinely thanking them with a smile on
your face! Don’t respond with another
compliment because that could seem
insincere. Just thank the person, actually
believe what they said and move on to
another subject.
3. ASK FOR HONEST OPINIONS
None of us like to hear negative feedback in
any area of our lives. But in reality,
constructive criticism is really good for
drawing attention to areas that need
improvement in your life. Don’t be afraid to
ask your friends, boss or spouse about their
honest opinions. It can be difficult at first
but so rewarding. Isn’t it better to know
where you’re weakest so as to become
stronger?
4. DON’T BE EASILY OFFENDED
The mark of a mature person is their ability
to let the little stuff (or possibly big stuff)
go and not hold bitterness or grudges
towards others. I’ve been hurt by lots of
people in the past; people I trusted dearly
who betrayed my trust and I’m sure most of
you can relate. I can say that it’s much
better for your well-being to just let things
roll off your back instead of being offended
and hurt. What helps for me is looking at a
person’s intentions. Most of the time, people
aren’t out to get you and don’t mean to
cause any offense. Look at it from that
perspective and you won’t be as easily
offended!
5. REMEMBER PEOPLE’S NAMES
I have the worst time remembering the
names of people I just met! Literally, within
a couple of minutes I forget names which is
terrible. The reason this is a crucial life
skill is because when you don’t remember a
person’s name, it sends the message that
you don’t care about them even if that’s not
true. What works for me is that when I
meet a new person and they introduce
themselves to me, I repeat their name back
to them after they say it! It logs it into my
mind along with their face so I won’t forget
it for our next encounter.
6. KEEP CONVERSATIONS ALIVE
Don’t you just hate those awkward silences
with people during conversations? There
aren’t many more awkward social settings
than that! Really what stems from awkward
silences is a lack of interest in one or both
parties. Try finding something interesting in
the conversation and take it in another
direction. This will keep the conversation
alive and definitely more intriguing!
7. BE OK WITH BEING ALONE
For extroverts, the concept of being alone is
unsettling and frightening. We’ve lost the
ability to just be alone, quieten our minds,
put away our cell phones, computers and
TV’s and just be. To be alone is a form of
meditation and being OK with it means
you’re not afraid of life and you’re secure
within yourself.