Lynxxx In Love “I Really Like Chidinma” – Lynxxx18:52 | 11.12.2013 The strapping rapper always have had a soft spot for the Capital Hill Music singer. Here he confesses to Pulse.ng Sexy Nigerian rapper, Lynxxx, feels strongly for Chidinma. In an interview today at the Pulse.ng/PulseTV HQ, the Syndik8 records CEO confessed of his love for the petite singer. “Chidinma is my celebrity crush”, Lynxxx revealed. “She’s cute and tiny, and she has a powerful voice. I think that’s attractive. I haven’t done a song with Chidinma because I’m shy. I’m really not a shy person, but around her, I am shy. “Like I walked into an embassy a month ago, and who do I see?” Chidinma. She’s sitted right there, and I hugged her, and she’s just so tiny. I’m 6’2, I’m a big guy, she’s tiny, and she fits right into my hands. Come on baby, let’s make it happen.” Lynxxx has always been very expressive of his feelings for ‘Miss Kedike’, and we just wonder when she’ll come around to reciprocating them. Maybe next year. Stay tuned to johnsonekene, the full interview will be released soon. Chidinma and Lynxxx, will they make a great couple? Tell us what you think.

ASUU dares FG as Deadline Expires Today Striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Sunday vowed not to resume work despite the federal government’s ultimatum that they should do so by today or risk losing their jobs. The federal government had last week shifted the deadline for the resumption of the teachers, who have been on strike since July from last Wednesday to today. However, the union has remained adamant, insisting that its members would not go back to work, despite the threat as the government is not towing the line that would resolve the crisis. The union again added that it would not resume work until its demands as agreed with President Goodluck Jonathan at the November 4 meeting are all met. The All Progressives Congress has however told the federal government to take responsibility for prolonging the strike, adding that it should do the needful to end the industrial action by the university teachers. A member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of ASUU confided in THISDAY that the position of the union has not changed on the issue, notwithstanding the threat by the government. He said: “Yes, a lot of our members voted that the strike should be called off, only if those conditions are met. We have insisted that the agreement be produced into a binding document. Why is that a big deal if the government is serious? That Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is a tradition anytime a strike is to be called off, between the two parties. This is a document that would be followed by the two parties. Nobody has done that, no instruction has been given. “Finally, we asked that the non-victimisation clause be addedto the MoU. Whenever we undergo any strike,we expect that our members should retrieve whatever they lost during any strike. That has been the practice throughout history. We do not want another strike in the next few months concerning the salary arrears of all academic staff in the universities. That clause should be in the MoU.” Reacting to comments credited to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, that the N200 billion infrastructure revitalisation fund had already been deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the ASUU official said the claim was left for pro-chancellors and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to verify as ASUU was not in position to do so. Another ASUU official told THISDAY that the re- opening of some schools such as University of Abuja, Enugu State University and several others does not in any way affect the strike. He said as far as the union is concerned, all ASUU members across Nigeria were on strike and would not teach. “The managements of the schools say they have re- opened, but is any lecture going on? ASUU does not close schools anyway, we can only suspend our services,” he said. TheNUC had last week clarified that the resumption order did not necessarily mean lectures would commence immediately. Briefing journalists in Abuja last Tuesday, the Executive Secretary, Prof. Julius Okojie, said some steps had to be taken before lectures could resume fully. He noted that the school environments would have to be put back in shape as reptiles may have taken over some places, and the Senate of each institution has to revisit the academic calendar. Okojie had also explained that the demands for salary arrears by ASUU could only be considered when the members of the union return to work, as some may have left the system during the strike. Those who resume work would receive their salary arrears, he added. The government on November 28, at a press conference addressed by the supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, had issued an ultimatum to the striking members of the union, after accusing the union of presenting fresh demands. “…Any academic staff who failsto resume on or before the 4th of December, 2013 automatically ceases to be a staff of the institution and, Vice Chancellors are also directed to advertise vacancies (internal and external) in their institutions. The NUC is hereby directed to monitor compliance of these directives by the institutions” he said. The union, however at a press conference addressed by its National President, Dr. Nasir Fagge, last Monday, said it was not bothered by the threat. It also refuted claims by Wike that it presented fresh demands. Faggeexplained that the union was only seeking for theconsolidation of the agreements reached at the end of the 13-hour meeting with President Jonathan. The government, barely 24 hours to the expiration of the initial deadline, had shifted the deadline to today to enable the teachers participate in the funeral of a former ASUU President, Prof. Festus Iyayi, who died while on his way to Kano to attend a meeting of the union. Source: ThisDay Newspaper

WHY LATE NELSON MANDELA IS IN HELL BY JIM SOLOUKI AND MARTIN BAKER. Greetings True Christians! Today Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa, ended his worldly life and entered the depths of Hell. Mandela was an unsaved heathen, and died without knowing the Lord. Not only did Mandela influence American Democrat Barack Hussein Obama, but he also practiced a heathen African tribal religion. Unfortunately, while Mandela did some great things for the nation of South Africa by ending apartheid, Heaven is like an exclusive club, unsaved unwelcome. Mandela died unsaved, and is therefore not welcome in Heaven. Nelson Mandela was also influenced by Darwinism and Communism! Mandela was an avid reader of Marx in the 1950s, and everybody knows that God hates Communists! Mandela allied himself with Communists and heathen Indian Gandhi, who is also in Hell. Instead of seeking a Christian approach to freedom from apartheid, Mandela instead turned entirely to heathens. In fact, Mandela and Gandhi even are rumored to have engaged in rampant homosexual acts with each other while planning protests! Mandela was also friendly toward Muslims, God’s hated people! Mandela was linked to the American Civil Rights movement, and many members of this movement were Muslims. Know what the Muslims did after they got African Americans equal rights? They crashed airplanes into buildings and started sectarian wars in the Middle East. Nelson Mandela was allied with these heathen scum, and is now being punished for his earthly mistakes. Tonight I watched many news stations. On every channel, they showed Africans lining the streets of South Africa, doing happy dappy heathen dances, perhaps in hopes that the voodoo rain god might look with favor upon the soul of Mandela. Unfortunately, these savages are of the same cloth as Mandela. Nelson Mandela may have been a great AFRICAN nature, but by world standards, he was rather lacking. But alas, this is the best that Africa can do. Africa is a heathen continent filled with heathens, and it is no wonder that God allowed the people of Africa to be enslaved. I implore those Africans still living to reject the sinful ways of Nelson Mandela and embrace Christianity so that they might not follow Mandela into Hell. Let us pray for the Africans, out of love. Dear Lord Jesus Christ, please lead the Africans away from heathen religions and to You. Please lead the Africans to Christianity so that they may stop being punished with AIDS, poverty, and dirty water, and so that they may avoid the fate of Nelson Mandela and avoid being cast into hell. This we pray in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. A heartfelt Christian messages from your friends, Jim Solouki and Martin Baker

FG Bows To ASUU, N200b Paid Into CBN Barely twenty four hours to the expiration of the 4 December ultimatum Federal Government gave members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to resume classes or be sacked, the federal government this morning bowed to one of the demands of the lecturers by paying N200 billion into an account opened with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. Disclosing this on Channels Television programme ‘Sunrise Daily’ this morning, Dr.Doyin Okupe, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs confirmed that the N200b demanded by ASUU to be paid into an account with the CBN has been done. The amountis meant for renewal of infrastructure facilities in public universities in the country. But ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Fage Isa, accused the government of being insincere in its dealing with the striking lecturers. He urged the government to respond to its letter demanding the fulfillment of some conditions for it to call off the strike. Okupe said that from the government’s perspective, everything that needs to be done has been done and whether the strike would be called off or not now lies in the hands of the leadership of ASUU. He said that most of the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities, ASUU, have been agreed upon at the 13-hour meeting they had with the President in October. “At the end of that meeting, the Government proposed that everything that has been agreed should be put in a memorandum of agreement and that the two parties should sign, but the leadership of ASUU declined and said instead of that, they would rather have a letter of comfort expressing everything that hasbeen resolved therein, and that will suffice for them.” According to him, the Government agreed to their request and issued the said letter based on the agreementthat the strike would be called off within 7 days. However, this did not happen “in spite of the fact that the ASUU leadership presented the letter of comfort to its chapters nationwide and a clear majority of them endorsed the resolutions reached and actually were more inclined towards calling off the strike.” Dr. Okupe stressed that the attitude of the ASUU leadership showed that the seed of discord and evidence of bad faith already existed. “It is unfortunate that somebody died but notwithstanding, that cannot be a justification for delaying the implementation of an agreement for 21 or more days. Reading from the ‘Letter of Comfort’ issued by the Federal Government in agreement with the leadership of ASUU, the government agreed that Nigerian universities must be revitalized for effective service delivery, all the provisions in the agreement and MoU for the revitalization shall be fully implemented as captured in the 2012 Needs Assessment and the Federal Government shall mobilize resource towards this goal. “Based on this, it was also agreed that a sum of N1.3 trillion shall be made available to ASUU over the next six years starting from December 2013 with (the sum of) N200 billion. The FGN therefore request that the ASUU shall within 7 days call off its 4 month strike.” Contrary to the Federal Government’s expectation that ASUU would call off the strike, ASUU in another document said that they “could not call off the strike because of certain uncertainties or gaps that are evident in the government’s report.” Okupe asked fiercely, “what are these uncertainties? He accused ASUU of turning around to again state four new conditions for the strike to be called off. They demanded that the agreed N200 billion should be deposited in an account at the Central Bank within 2 weeks, while the negotiation of the 2009 agreement should be included in the final document. The ASUU, according to Okupe also demanded that a non-victimization clause should be included as well as a new MoU signed by the Attorney-General. Dismissing their requests, he said a demand for a memorandum is a waste of people’s time because this is ideally what should follow any agreement made between two parties in the first place, and that by International Labour Laws which Nigeria is guided by, no one is expected to be victimized for going on strike. He also said that ASUU, asking that the MoU with Federal Government should be signed by the Attorney- General “does not make sense” because anyone of high standing in government can sign for it. Headded that an account has already been opened for the N200 billion they are requesting for in the Central Bank. Okupe added that the government has shown commitment by meeting with the leadership of ASUU, and agreeing to its demands, considering that previous governments did not give them such an opportunity to sit down and discuss. He called on ASUU to do the right thing for the benefit of the nation. “The Government cannot be seen to be contesting with any sector of the economy or the country. This President is interested in moving Nigeria forward through a very well- articulated transformation agenda.” Source: PMNews

ASUU Strike: FUTO calls Students back to School Amids Controversy Authorities of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri yesterday released a press statement calling her students back to school as academic activities were scheduled to resume immediately. Below is the full press release; The Senate of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri at its 375 Extraordinary meeting held on Monday, December 2, 2013 considered the directive of the Federal Government on resumption of duty by Academic Staff in Federal Universities and decided that academic activities in the University should resume immediately for the conclusion of the 2012/2013 Rain Semester. Consequently all students of the University are required to return to campus between Monday December 2, and Friday December 8, 2013 while Rain Semester Examinations commence on Monday December 9, 2013 and end on Saturday December 21, 2013. Accordingly, all academic staff are required to proceed immediately to their respective Departments to sign in for resumption of duty not later than Wednesday December 4, 2013. Signed: Orje Ishegh-Nor Registrar/Secretary to the Senate Meanwhile, the FUTO chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had a congress meeting where they unanimously agreed never to succumb to any threat by both FG and the university administration to call of the strike or begin exams.

High Heels and Your HEALTH High heels are not a fad it has turned into a never ending fashion in recent era. As you could see a propelling sea of woman’s every day wearing such heels all the time. Why is it so? Why woman cannot do without high heels? Even after having realized that wearing mere pumps leave their feet in painful condition then why don’t they realize the grave consequences of wearing high heels. It is a sad fact, alas, majority of the women do not realize this, as a result, put their feet on stake and up for a long lasting impact. Why Women Wear High Heels? This is one such question which should be answered in order to rationalize this choice of a woman; because doctors and researchers have been shouting out loud about the demerits of wearing high heels but it seems like women are not paying heed to them. Therefore, it is important for us to understand, why? One major reason out of many is, women wear high heels to be noticeable positively They also do so to exude their self-confidenceor to boost up their self esteem Apart from that, it makes a woman look taller and hence, also qualifies as a lucrative height increasing option for short heighted women Moreover, high heels effect a woman’s posture in such a way that it ultimately accentuates the feminine look of a woman and makes her look more stunning Last but not the least, another reason behind the popularity of these high heels is that they make a person look thinner than usual By keeping the above reasons in mind, we could say that women put themselves in pain just because of few ugly norms and behaviors in society; which, like to see and prefer a confident feminine side of a woman. As a result, women seek their hide out in high heels without giving a second thought to all the painful consequences which they will have to bear later on. Having considered all these in mind, now we are going to shed some light on the grave consequences of high heels by pinpointing their side-effects. Side Effects of Wearing High Heels Heals, though, lure ladies into an abyss of high confidence and that is the main reason behind them opting out for high heels at most of the occasions but one can simply not deny the side effects of wearing high heels due to this rationale. Being a woman, you should need to know that: Your feet act as a shock absorber or as a weight disturber of entire body and when you wear heels, you shift all that mass on mere balls and toes of your feet as a result they get affected substantially The higher the heels the more dreadful are the circumstances for a woman’s feet; you lose your natural walk and become prey of staccato motion as a result of abrupt transition of toes and eventually, you also end up damaging your nerves High heels also put your ankles in a position which restricts the smooth circulation of blood in your lower limbs. Apart from that, it also leaves long lasting impact on your Achilles tendons Continuous wearing of high heels shorten the growth of calf tendons and ankles as a result you have to walk painfully all the time Osteoarthritis is another side effect of wearing high heels; it triggers because of the increase in stress on your knees Moreover, the adverse effects of high heels could also be felt on outer hip muscles and tendons due to the confident posture which you have to wear in high heels Another thing which gets affected by high heels in your body is your spinal cord; heels make you swing and also your spine in accord with the tread but this swaying is unnatural and causes adversities in your back. Due to this, you could suffer from sore lower backbone Further you could also suffer from hammer toes due to these killer heels because 1 out of every 3rd heel wearer woman suffers from this ailment High heels also increase the probability of you falling over your knees and have them broken or sprained in result A bony enlargement can also appear at the back of your heel due to wearing such shoes which are not only high in heels but also have tight straps Recapitulating, high heels though make you look extremely confident and add an extra zest to your appearance but you should not wear them all the time and you also need to bear in mind that higher heels cause you more damage. Therefore, it is necessary to stick to the intermittent use of high heels for a shorter period of time and also try to wear not more than 1.5 inch heels else your Achilles tendon would go shorter and eventually, cause you unbearable trouble.

How we hang on? Monkey-hunters use a box with an opening at the top, big enough for the monkey to slide its hand in. Inside the box are nuts. The monkey grabs the nuts and now its hand becomes a fist. The monkey tries to get its hand out but the opening is big enough for the hand to slide in, but too small for the fist to come out. Now the monkey has a choice, either to let go off the nuts and be free forever or hang on to the nuts and get caught. Guess what it picks every time? You guessed it. He hangs on to the nuts and gets caught. We are no different from monkeys. We all hang on to some nuts that keep us from going forward in life. We keep rationalizing by saying, “I cannot do this because . . .” and whatever comes after “because” are the nuts that we are hanging on to which are holding us back. Successful people don’t rationalize. Two things determine if a person will be a success: reasons and results. Reasons don’t count while results do.

ASUU Strike Latest: Pro- chancellors order all Universities open 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 ifthe ultimatum was not met, after it held a separate congress following the disruption of the earlier one. Source: Tribune Newspaper

DON'T QUIT!!!== Every morning a gazelle awakens knowing that it must outrun the fastest lion if it wants to stay alive. Every morning a lion wakes up knowing that it must run faster than the fastest gazelle or it will starve to death. It makes no difference whether you are a lion or a gazelle; what is important is when the sun comes up you had better be running! The moment you give up, you bring about your own end. Every success story- whether family story, career story and project achievement story etc is also a story of a great failure and flaw. The only difference is that the successful people never gave up. Instead, they bounced with much more energy and enthusiasm every time they failed and encountered difficulties. Are you born in the cradle of poverty? Never give up! Remember that after every night comes the dawn, and after winter comes spring. Perhaps your prosperity may be only a kilometer away! Are you broken down at the loss of someone in your life? Never give up! Life spent with someone for a lifetime maybe meaningless, but a few moments spent with someone who really loves and cares for you mean more than life itself. Are you constrained by your physical deformity? Never give up! Life is a matter of perception; either you complain because roses have thorns or rejoice because thorns have roses! Are you too aged to accomplish anything great? Never give up! Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it does not matter. Are you disappointed with repeated failures? Never give up! Full stop is not a real end because you can form a sentence after that. Similarly, failure is not the real end; it can be made the real beginning of success! Are you ridiculed by others while attempting something? Never give up! You have not come into the world to live up to the expectations of others. Have you lost faith in God? Never give up! You know what is good for you, but God knows what is best for you! If He asks you to put something down, it is because He wants you to pick up something better! Are you faced with myriad difficulties? Never give up! An arrow goes forward only if it pulled backward and a bullet goes forward only if the trigger is pressed backward. You can be successful only if you face the difficulties on your path. Are you rejected and looked down upon by others? Never give up! As you sail through life, just let rejections pass. Sail on! Because calm seas will never make skilled sailors! Are you squashed in intense hardships? Never give up! A diamond is merely a lump of coal that did well under pressure. So imagine how brilliant you can be by withstanding the pressures of life. Everyone would have every success he/she ever wanted if there were no obstacles. Your challenge is to be persistent and work through those obstacle. I fully agree with the words of the late great American President Calvin Coolidge, “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more uncommon than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” In life, so many of us pass through many lives adversities. It doesn’t really matter the particular type of adversity, they are all the same. They all affects us in the same manner. The purpose of writing this moral book is for us to have a guide as we pass through the different steps and stages in life. This book is written to serve as a tool of encouragement to so many of us who have, have not, and is still to pass through the different lives strategic hits Each of the stories here always has something significant to teach us. Let’s learn from them. The word GIVE UP itself has so much of poison and lethargy that it has killed many positive drives, dreams and ambitions of several people. Therefore, the watchword of life must be “NEVER GIVE UP!” Dare wildly, act courageously, and live the life you desire! Don’t give up before the miracle happens!

More Than 50 Killed in China Pipeline Blasts BEIJING—Explosions at a pipeline that left dozens dead and upended cars and sidewalks in a busy Chinese port city have renewed focus on industrial facilities in densely populated areas—an issue of rising importance as Beijing pushes an ambitious urbanization plan. Regulators and the pipeline's operator, China's largest refining company, began exchanging blame on Monday over the Friday incident in the eastern city of Qingdao, which drew widespread attention across the country and prompted a visit by PresidentXi Jinping to a local hospital to meet with victims. Authorities on Monday raised the death toll to 55, with 136 injured and nine still missing. Chinese authorities said Monday that the blasts exposed problems caused by human error and that the accident was a "very serious dereliction of duty," China's official Xinhua news agency said, citing Yang Dongliang, director of the State Administration of Work Safety. Mr. Yang said the problems included how the pipeline and the city's sewage and underground cable systems had become intertwined. But he also cited "negligence of duty of pipeline supervision and unprofessional handling of oil leakage before the blasts." A representative for China Petrochemical Corp., known as Sinopec Group, said the government investigation was continuing and the cause of the blast had yet to be determined. But the company defended its conduct, saying authorities in another city with oversight over the pipeline didn't sign off on an overhaul. The representative also said the area around the pipeline wasn't as populated when it was completed 27 years ago. "The city began to expand and people gathered," the Sinopec representative said. "Buildings and other utility pipelines were built near our oil pipelines." Qingdao's rapid urbanization and fast-paced industrialization illustrates the challenges that China's leaders face in planning for economic growth. Qingdao's population jumped to 8.5 million in 2010 from 6.3 million in 1986. In 2011, Qingdao completed a 17-mile bridge across Jiaozhou Bay to alleviate traffic that choked a highway that curved around the bay. That structure connects its downtown with the district of Huangdao, where Friday's explosions occurred, and accelerated Huangdao's development. "I wonder why so many factories and companies have been built in the area, and why people are being directly exposed to pollution and explosions," said a Huangdao resident calling herself Xiao Rou on her microblog. "Why doesn't the government take measures? …I hope the government can give us a safe home." Sinopec and other companies have previously faced protests in several cities over efforts to build or expand industrial facilities near densely populated areas. Last year, residents in the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo forced officials to suspend the planned $8.9 billion expansion of a petrochemical facility run by Sinopec, which began operating in the area in 1975. Part of the new facility was supposed to produce the industrial chemical paraxylene, which residents feared could be damaging to their health and the environment. Such incidents come as China pushes to move more rural residents into the cities as a way to spur greater consumption to help rebalance its economy. A blueprint for reform by China's leaders released this month called for greater access to urban services for rural migrants and greater land rights for rural residents, which could give them added impetus to sell and move. In 2009, China's State Council, or cabinet, began deliberating precautions on construction around pipelines. "Rapid urbanization had resulted in the reckless construction of buildings and roads within buffer areas for the pipelines in recent years, making their protection increasingly difficult," Xinhua said at the time. The explosions on Friday occurredas workers tried to clear a spill from a leak that began in the early hours. Authorities said there were explosions in two areas. The pipeline, built in 1986, carries crude oil from Huangdao to processing facilities in the city of Weifang about 170 kilometers, or about 100 miles,away. Sinopec said it submitted plans to Weifang's Ministry of Environmental Protection to overhaul sections of the pipeline in 2011 and 2012, but the plans were rejected. Sinopec warned Weifang that nearby roads, houses and buildings could create potential hazards, the representative added. "If there were any incidents, we wouldn't be able to repair our pipelines conveniently and immediately," the Sinopec representative said. However, "the [Weifang] government didn't agree with our plans to repair the aging pipeline, so we couldn't do it." Representatives from Weifang and its environmental protection branch didn't reply to requests to comment. Although the pipeline crosses through several regions and ends in Qingdao, Sinopec said it was required by Chinese law to seek permission from local authorities in Weifang, where the company's pipeline subsidiary is registered.A Huangdao municipal government spokeswoman referred questions to Sinopec. Sinopec's pipeline hasn't been immune to past problems. Oil spills and fires resulted from two 2010 incidents, according to company statements, though no casualties were reported. Sinopec blamed the buildup of trash on a section of the pipeline and illegal construction near it. Xinhua quoted the Chinese president as saying on Sunday that safety must be improved in the pipeline industry, and he called for stronger inspections and punishments for violations. Mr. Xi added that pipeline operators should carry out surprise inspections and enforce a "zero-tolerance" policy for violations. Although China has had other pipeline explosions in the past, Friday's blasts were the deadliest in recent memory. In 2010, a series of oil-pipeline explosions rocked the shipping and tourism city of Dalian, sparking fires that blazed for 15 hours. However, there were no casualties. —Olivia Geng and Grace Zhu contributed to this article.

FG CONDEMS ASUU'S NEW DEMAND.==== By LAIDE AKINBOADE & PETER OKUTU ABUJA — The Federal Government, yesterday, condemned the new conditions which Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, insists must be met before the five-month old strike could be called off. The three conditions were payment of four months salaries, which accumulated during the period of the strike; immediate implementation of the N1.2 trillion offered by the government to public universities, starting with the release of N100 billion this year and the balance of N1.1 trillion to be spread over five years from 2014. The union also demanded that the salary arrears must not be paid in piecemeal. These were some of the resolutions reached by members of the National Executive Council, NEC, of the union that met in Kano on Friday. Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, condemned the new conditions but assured that he would present them before President Goodluck Jonathan. EBSU breaks ranks, recalls students Meanwhile, the management of Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, EBSU, yesterday ordered lecturers and students of the institution to return to classes following the inability of ASUU to end its strike. A statement by the Registrar of the institution, Mr. Sam Egwu, stressed that the institution had resolved to resume academic activities regardless of the ASUU-FG dispute, adding that academic activities would resume in all the campuses of the institution from today, Tuesday, November 26. EBSU chapter of ASUU however, said that lecturers would not return to classes until their demands were met in line with the position of its national body

BANDING ISLAM. Angola shuts down all Mosques, says Islam is illegal Angola has ordered the shutdown of all mosques and declared Islam illegal. "The legalisation of Islam has not been approved by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights [and] their mosques will be closed until further notice," said minister of culture Rosa Cruz e Silva. The minister called Islam a "sect" which would be banned as counter to Angolan customs and culture. * I remember that a fan put this in his comment and people abused thunder out of him. I'm afraid the report is true.*

Homily for November 24, 2013: Christ the King November 23, 2013 By Deacon Greg Kandra Most people may not realize it, but the feast we celebrate this Sunday, the Feast of Christ the King, is a very new one on the church calendar. It was added by Pope Pius XI in 1925. He created this feast as a reaction against the prevailing attitudes of his day – a way to refute the growing threats of communism and secularism. Two “isms” that sought to make man, not God, the most powerful force in the world. Within a few years, of course, the world would have another “ism” to confront, totalitarianism – making this feast even more significant. A century later, those threats have been replaced by others that tend to marginalize God —”isms” like materialism or relativism. But here and now, this feast still stands in defiance of our culture. And it stands before us as a challenge. It asks us: “Who – or WHAT — really rules our lives?” That’s a question we could spend all of Advent asking ourselves, and praying over. And maybe we should. But today, I want to spend a few minutes considering not just Christ the King – but Christ’s kingdom. Because this feast reminds us what we pray for, day after day, week after week, when we pray “thy kingdom come.” This kingdom doesn’t have a castle or a court. It isn’t a place of royal fanfare. It isn’t even found on a map. It is a kingdom that dwells within the human heart. And its great defining landmark…is the cross. That is where we encounter Christ the King in today’s gospel reading. In fact, this reading may hit us as a shock. Usually, we hear this gospel during Holy Week. But on this feast, when we celebrate Christ’s triumphant presence in the world, we don’t meet this all-powerful King in a moment of splendor. We meet Him at his most humble — and most humiliated. Stripped. Beaten. Dying on a cross. Yet, this is part of what we pray for when we pray “Thy kingdom come.” We pray for a kingdom of peace and justice, of course. But we also pray for a kingdom of sacrificial love — a place where the greatest honor isn’t in how much you have or how much you control…but in how much you give up. A kingdom where true power lies…in being powerless. It is a place where we are called to love, and to give, until there is nothing left. It is where pure love reigns. And it is in that kingdom where the “good thief” wants to dwell. This exchange has a unique place in all of scripture. In this passage, Christ isn’t called “rabbi” or “teacher.” In the last moments of his life, someone finally calls Him, simply “Jesus.” It is the only moment in the gospels where this happens: this is the only time that someone calls him by his given name. The man hanging beside our Lord speaks to Him as a brother, as a friend. He talks to him, literally, man to man. “Jesus,” he says to Him, “remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Those words, passed down through history, have become our words – the plea of anyone who has ever felt abandoned, or lonely, desperate or afraid. We pray that God doesn’t forget us. And that He gives us, somehow, His grace. In other words: thy kingdom come. And Jesus answers that simple prayer: “Today, you will be with me in paradise.” The kingdom WILL come. One man’s faith, at the last moments of his life, saves him. It is something that should give all of us comfort and consolation. I mentioned at the beginning that this Feast is relatively new to the Church – but what it represents is as old as Christianity itself. A father of the Church, Cyril of Jerusalem, beautifully described how the first Christians received communion, saying that they “made their hands like a throne” to receive the Lord. The very title “Christ the King” has outlasted most of the world’s monarchies. Kings, of course, have fallen out of fashion — there are only about 40 real monarchs now ruling in the world. Most of them are just figureheads. But the one we honor and celebrate today, of course, isn’t. As Paul describes him today: he is the “firtborn of all creation… for in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell.” This is the one we celebrate. This is the one we prepare to welcome in a few weeks. And, this is the one we will greet this morning, with our hands outstretched like a throne. When I was a teenager, a popular hymn was “The King of Glory.” I won’t torture you by singing it. But I remember the lyrics so well: “The king of glory comes, the nation rejoices, open the gates before him, lift up your voices.” This morning, on this singular feast, this last Sunday of the liturgical year, we open the gates. We lift up our voices. We stretch out our hands. And we welcome this King of Glory into our hearts, praying like the good thief: Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.

ASUU in secret meeting, to end strike Posted by webmaster [highlight]By Ted Odogwu Bureau Chief, Kano[/ highlight] There are strong indications that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may call off its five-month strike, following two days of marathon secret meeting its national executive council (NEC) held yesterday at an undisclosed venue in Kano. When Saturday Newswatch visited Bayero University Kano (BUK) old campus, it was observed that vehicles belonging to Usman Danfodio University, Kaduna State University, Ambrose Ali University and the University of Ibadan, among others were parked at the premises. However, it was learnt shortly after that all the officials who are assembled at the venue boarded a bus, which conveyed them to an undisclosed venue for the crucial meeting. As at the time of filing this report, the meeting was still in progress, while efforts to contact some of the officials for an update failed as they all switched off their handsets. It was however learnt that there are strong indications that the strike may be called off today (Saturday). According to our investigation, some of the NEC officials claimed ignorance of such an alleged meeting, just as it also learnt that it may be an adhoc meeting for the preparation of grounds for the proper NEC meeting. However, it would be recalled that ASUU embarked on the strike five months ago, due to the failure of the Federal Government to implement the 2009 agreement it reached with the union. The crisis between the Federal Government and ASUU has been lingering for quite some time as both parties failed to reach a compromise.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday made his first appearance after the news of his ill health became a public knowledge. Jonathan who is in London for the 15th meeting of the Honourary International Investors Council could not attend the opening on Thursday due to ill-health. Presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, had said in a statement that the President was advised by a team of competent medical practitioners to rest for a few days. He however appeared at the meeting on Friday, saying he was fit again. He displayed no sign of weakness as he shook hands with participants on arrival at the venue at about 9.30am local time. President Jonathan falls ill in London … unable to attend investors’ council’s meeting President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday became indisposed in far away London where he was scheduled to preside over the meeting of Nigeria’s Honorary International Investors’ Council. His Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, made this known in a statement he made available to journalists in Abuja. Abati said the President, who turned 56 on Wednesday, had since been examined by competent medical practitioners. He added that Jonathan was advised by his doctors to rest for a few days. Abati neither disclosed the nature of the ailment nor the duration of the resting period. He assured Nigerians that Jonathan’s medical condition was “nothing serious,” adding that the medical attention he sought was only “precautionary.” His statement reads, “In the course of his ongoing visit to London for a meeting of Nigeria’s Honorary International Investors’ Council, President Goodluck Jonathan became indisposed and could not be present at the opening of the meeting today (on Thursday). “President Jonathan has since been examined by competent medical practitioners. He has been advised to rest for a few days. “The Presidency wishes to assure all Nigerians that President Jonathan’s condition is nothing serious and that the medical attention he has sought is only precautionary.” Jonathan who was born on November 20, 1957 in Otuoke, the Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State clocked 56 while in London. In his absence, Vice-President Namadi Sambo led other members of the Federal Executive Council to mark his birthday in a brief ceremony during which they wished him long life. Jonathan became the President after the death of late President Umaru Yar’Adua whose Presidency was affected by ill-health. It will be recalled that the President’s wife, Patience, also fell ill in August last year and spent about seven weeks abroad. Although her media aides had claimed she was resting abroad after the rigours of hosting the African First Ladies Summit,she was actually admitted at a German hospital during the period. At a special thanksgiving held in her honour on February 17, 2013, Patience had confirmed that she passed on for more than a week before God miraculously raised her from the dead. She said her situation was hopeless to the extent that some people close to her who were convinced that she would neverreturn to the country alive had started selling off her personal effects. She recalled how her tummy was opened and her intestine out for days. Describing herself as the Biblical Lazarus who Jesus Christ raised from the dead, Patience said it was God himself who sent her back to the earth because she had some unfulfilled tasks to carry out. Although she did not disclose the nature of her ailment, she said she underwent about nine surgeries within a month. The President, at the event, had said the miraculous recovery of his wife succeeded in putting an end to the superstitious belief that no President enters the Presidential Villa and leaves with his family intact. He had said, “The story was that one of us (the President or his wife) will die. Today, we are celebrating her. “Her recovery has put an end to that belief. I am not too good in celebrating, but for this particular one, I think we have to thank God for keeping the life of my wife. “If anything had happened, there would have been different stories. Fake prophets would have given their stories. “As mortals, we must fall sick and die but how and when are what matter most. “To die when serving your people is not good. Death should come after you have finished serving.” The President had recalled that when he was still a deputy governor in Bayelsa State, he lost a second cousin. He said during the burial, a story was told of how anybody in his community, who is gradually going into limelight always died mysteriously. Jonathan had said all eyes were focused on him, apparently insinuating that it was his time to die. He had said he prayed hard that he would not die young and God had answered him.

A warm hello doesn’t come from the lips, It comes from the heart, Doesn’t have to be told, It has to be shown, Doesn’t have to be given, It has to be sent. “Good Morning’