"The fact is, I'm gay," Copper Anderson

"The fact is, I'm gay," Anderson Cooper has confirmed what most people in the media world and New York.

"The fact is, I'm gay," Cooper wrote in an email to Daily Beast blogger Andrew Sullivan. "Always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud." Sullivan, who is gay and is a longtime friend of Cooper's, had asked the CNN anchor for his reaction to a recent Entertainment Weekly story—"The New Art of Coming Out"—which was, in part, about the importance of gay celebrities coming out of the closet to combat America's bullying epidemic.


"Andrew, as you know, the issue you raise is one that I've thought about for years," Cooper responded. "Even though my job puts me in the public eye, I have tried to maintain some level of privacy in my life. Part of that has been for purely personal reasons. I think most people want some privacy for themselves and the people they are close to."

"But I've also wanted to retain some privacy for professional reasons," Cooper continued. "Since I started as a reporter in war zones 20 years ago, I've often found myself in some very dangerous places. For my safety and the safety of those I work with, I try to blend in as much as possible, and prefer to stick to my job of telling other people's stories, and not my own. I have found that sometimes the less an interview subject knows about me, the better I can safely and effectively do my job as a journalist. I've always believed that who a reporter votes for, what religion they are, who they love, should not be something they have to discuss publicly."

Cooper said he did not come out in his 2006 memoir, "Dispatches from the Edge," because the book was meant to be about war and not about his personal life. But his thinking has since changed: Recently, however, I've begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle. It's become clear to me that by remaining silent on certain aspects of my personal life for so long, I have given some the mistaken impression that I am trying to hide something—something that makes me uncomfortable, ashamed or even afraid. This is distressing because it is simply not true.


While it's the first time Cooper has been on the record about his sexuality, it's been an open secret in the media and gay communities for years. In 2007, for example, Out magazine put Cooper on its list of the 50 most powerful gays. In 2011, Cooper gave a winking nod to his homosexuality during a panel discussion with writers from The Onion.
And last month, Cooper was among the celebrities featured in a New York Observer cover story on "the glass closet." "In a perfect world, I don't think it's anyone else's business, but I do think there is value in standing up and being counted," Cooper—who says he's always been open with family and friends—added in his email. "Visibility is important, more important than preserving my reporter's shield of privacy."
Gay groups quickly applauded Cooper's courage. "Our members share his sentiment that as journalists, not activists, we have a significant role to play as advocates for fair and accurate coverage of the LGBT community in the mainstream media," David Steinberg, president of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, said in a statement to Yahoo News. "We have worked hard to ensure that all journalists are comfortable being out in the newsroom and having it not be perceived as detrimental to their ability to do their job."

Cooper's announcement "helps us move 'what shouldn't matter' closer to 'what doesn't matter,'" actor Michael McKean tweeted. "Anderson Cooper wasn't in the closet," Tina Dupuy wrote on Twitter. "He was in the none-of-your-business." Not everyone, though, celebrated the manner of Cooper's announcement. Gawker Media chief Nick Denton, who is openly gay, tweeted: "Anderson Cooper: you seek 'visibility' and [yet] bury your coming-out announcement."

"Anderson Cooper would have come out of the closet sooner but being on CNN prevented him from accurately breaking a news story," joked Comedy Central's Indecision Twitter feed. While Cooper is certainly the most prominent news personality to announce he's gay, he isn't the first—even at CNN. Last year, weekend and daytime anchor Don Lemon came out of the closet in a memoir titled "Transparent."

I'd Get Married Again In December-Pastor Kris Okotie

It's no longer news that spiritual head of Household of God church and former presidential aspirant of Fresh Party, Pastor Kris Okotie and his pretty wife Stephanie have ended their four year-old fruitless marriage.

If the report reaching us is anything to go by, then Rev Chris Okotie has said again that come December, he's going to be married again because it's not good for the man to be alone, quoting God from the book of Genesis.

Pastor Kris and his wife Stephanie Henshaw have ended their marriage irreconcilably but another woman will be coming in shortly after her exit.

  He broke the news to his congregation and he also said he actually fell for her beauty. This is the second marriage the founder of Household of God will be ending in less than six years.

Sources in the church said the marriage has been having cracks in the past two years thinking that things would get better until the man of the centre of the drama finally broke the news.

If you remember, Pastor Okotie similarly dumped his first wife, Tyna after 17 years of marriage. The news of the break up came as a shock to many because it was higly celebrated. They had their honey moon in Dubai, London and France for some weeks.

During their wedding, Okotie claimed that his wife is still a virgin after two unsuccessful marriages and three children.

The 42 year-old Stephanie, on their wedding day told all and sundry said that God will give her a set of twins as first children to her husband.

Their first Sunday as husband and wife, Pastor Kris said that God has told him that they would be blessed with a set of twins soon. Four years after, the dream is not realised but the wedding is now collapsed.

Popular Yoruba Actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka, alias Baba Ijesha set to wed Samsung big girl

The gist going round town is that popular Yoruba comic actor, Baba Ijesha is set to get married come Saturday, July 14, 2012.

The actor, whose real name is Olanrewaju Omiyinka, is said to be in love with a Samsung big girl. Reports say the lady is believed to be a manager at the top mobile phones and electronics giants.

We gathered that the road to being a married man would begin with a wedding introduction/engagement on July while the 'white' wedding would hold at a later date.

Baba Ijesha is a known name and face in the Yoruba film terrain.

He was recently asked in an interview about the identity of his bride and here is what he said;
Who is the lucky lady?

I don’t want to disclose that for now but very soon you will find out, but she’s definitely not into the entertainment industry. She is very quiet, reserved and hardworking. She is one of the managers of Samsung Company. Unlike me, she cherishes her private life.

Popular Fuji musician, Sunny T is dead.

The songwriter-performer, who became wildly known in the 90s as ‘omo nna to’n ko fuji (the Igbo man who plays Fuji – a predominantly Yoruba music), died this morning, according to his label boss Sarolaj, who spoke with NET.

Sarolaj (also known as Tunji Sarumi, who owns Eru Owa records, perhaps Nigeria’s most successful and enduring fuji label), says The late Sunny T performed in Epe on the outskirts of Lagos last Friday.

‘He was very Okay’, he told us over the phone. ‘He even performed on Friday and came home yesterday. He woke up around 4:30am today, he complained of cold, and asked to have some warm water to bathe with.’

‘He went into the bathroom, but came out without having his bath. The he sat on the bed ans started breathing hard’. Sarolaj said

We’re told he was rushed to the General hospital in Ikeja, Lagos, where doctors attended to him, before he passed on. ‘He was a young man who had been with me for decades. He release his first album with me and we are still working together. This is very sad and shocking’, Sarolaj tells us.

Sunny T Adesokan, is said to survived by his wife and kids. His last album ‘Capable, was released in August 2011.

May His soul rest in Peace, Amen

Otedola Sues Tambuwal, Lawan and Others For N250bn

The $620,000 bribery scandal involving a federal legislator, Farouk Lawan and businessman, Femi Otedola, has entered a new phase with Otedola asking a court to order Lawan and three others to pay him N250bn in damages.

The suit coincides with petitions to the Inspector-General of Police by Lawan’s lawyers demanding a face-to-face confrontation between the lawmaker and the businessman.

The amount, Otedola says, will compensate him for the loss of patronage he has suffered as a result of an alleged intimidation by the National Assembly.

Listed as defendants in the suit number FCT /3839/2012 and filed on June 28, 2012 at the Abuja High Court, are Lawan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal; the National Assembly and its Clerk.

There had been a raging scandal in which Otedola, who is the Chairman of Zenon Oil and Gas Limited, claimed that he paid $620,000 as bribe to Lawan, the suspended Chairman of the House Ad hoc Committee that probed the management of fuel subsidy regime in the country.

While Otedola said that he paid the bribe under pressure, Lawan claimed that he obtained the bribe in order to expose the businessman. The businessman’s company which had been removed from the list of subsidy thieves on the request of Lawan has, however, been re-listed by the House following the outbreak of the bribery scandal. Otedola, who is suing along with Zenon as the first plaintiff, said in his 28-paragraph statement of claim that the re-listing of Zenon on the list of indicted companies was an act of conspiracy.

He claimed that the alleged conspiracy by both Tambuwal and the National Assembly was calculated to embarrass him and his company.  In his statement of claim, Otedola states, “Notwithstanding the on-going Police investigations and the first defendant’s admission of receiving money from the second plaintiff, the second and fourth defendants conspired to relist the name of the first plaintiff to the list of indicted companies, to embarrass the plaintiffs and their corporate and business image.

“The plaintiffs shall contend at trial that the conspiracy by the second and fourth defendants (Tambuwal and the National Assembly respectively) to re-list the name of the first plaintiff on the list of companies indicted by the ad-hoc committee is without basis given that the committee’s finding was arrived at without proper verification of documents submitted by the plaintiffs to aid their enquiry.”


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International Freebies For All Female Entrepreneur

Goldman Sachs in partnership with Pan-African University is training and building capacity in our women.
Increasing numbers of women are becoming leaders/managers of their own businesses and many are actually still struggling to achieve success. It is becoming increasingly acknowledged that when a woman is empowered, she reinvests into her family, her environment, the nation and the world at large.

In Nigeria, opportunity has been thrown open to female entrepreneurs to build their capacity through the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Scholarship Initiative in collaboration with the Pan-African University and over 200 female entrepreneurs have tapped into this great opportunity. Why not join the league of successful female entrepreneurs today? This is a chance to take your business to the next level!

Are you a female Entrepreneur?? Do you seek to tap into this opportunity to take your business to a greater level? Have you been in business for at least 6 months??? Then apply for the scholarship now!

Deadline for submission of the application form is June 25, 2012.  For more information send an email to aosinaike@pau.edu.ng or nojeme@pau.edu.ng

Please help broadcast , share this with our women. Thank you

Jaywon Juwonlo Celebrates birthday today

Kennis Music Multi-talented Artist, Jaywon Juwonlo, is celebrating his birthday today. 

This is wishing him many happy returns and more good music from him.  The party is taking place a prestigious club in Ikeja later tonight.

More on the this later