Monday, July 2, 2012

NOW YOU KNOW: ANDERSON COOPER IS GAY!

After much speculation that Anderson Cooper is gay or not....we have finally heard from the Horse's mouth.

He made it public through an email to a writer Andrew Sullivan.
"The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud," he wrote.

I am not suprised...smelt it somehow! Goodluck to him.....below are words of the email
Andrew, as you know, the issue you raise is one that I've thought about for years. 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. 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. As long as a journalist shows fairness and honesty in his or her work, their private life shouldn't matter. I’ve stuck to those principles for my entire professional career, even when I’ve been directly asked “the gay question,” which happens occasionally. I did not address my sexual orientation in the memoir I wrote several years ago because it was a book focused on war, disasters, loss and survival. I didn't set out to write about other aspects of my life.
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.
I’ve also been reminded recently that while as a society we are moving toward greater inclusion and equality for all people, the tide of history only advances when people make themselves fully visible. There continue to be far too many incidences of bullying of young people, as well as discrimination and violence against people of all ages, based on their sexual orientation, and I believe there is value in making clear where I stand.
The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud.
I have always been very open and honest about this part of my life with my friends, my family, and my colleagues. 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. I’m not an activist, but I am a human being and I don't give that up by being a journalist.
Since my early days as a reporter, I have worked hard to accurately and fairly portray gay and lesbian people in the media - and to fairly and accurately portray those who for whatever reason disapprove of them. It is not part of my job to push an agenda, but rather to be relentlessly honest in everything I see, say and do. I’ve never wanted to be any kind of reporter other than a good one, and I do not desire to promote any cause other than the truth.
Being a journalist, traveling to remote places, trying to understand people from all walks of life, telling their stories, has been the greatest joy of my professional career, and I hope to continue doing it for a long time to come. But while I feel very blessed to have had so many opportunities as a journalist, I am also blessed far beyond having a great career.
I love, and I am loved.
In my opinion, the ability to love another person is one of God’s greatest gifts, and I thank God every day for enabling me to give and share love with the people in my life. I appreciate your asking me to weigh in on this, and I would be happy for you to share my thoughts with your readers. I still consider myself a reserved person and I hope this doesn’t mean an end to a small amount of personal space. But I do think visibility is important, more important than preserving my reporter’s shield of privacy.

FEMI OTEDOLA & FAROUK LAWAN; DANGEROUS CONVERSATION

This story keeps getting more and more interesting..... Nothing seems to suprise anyone these days.... The levekl of corruption is so shameful and the whole cycle is intertwined....it is now in  billions, no longer in millions and it has graduated to dollars...no longer naira! As it now seems, the fuel subsidy report is slowly been swept aside.
Enter the main acts of the drama: (Honourable) Farouk Lawan and Femi Otedola, the MD/CEO Zenon Oil and Gas over the alleged payment of $620,000 out of the $3million bribe demanded.

The Chairman, House of Representatives’ ad hoc committee on Fuel Subsidy, Farouk Lawan, is alleged to have collected $620,000 as part payment for a $3million bribe, which he demanded from billionaire and oil magnate, in a bid to exonerate his companies from the fuel subsidy probe.
The audio conversation exclusively obtained by Channels Television, started with the MD/CEO Zenon Oil and Gas, Femi Otedola saying he does not want to take the money to his house. “I don’t want to take it to my house; it is a lot of money” he said.
Then the lawmaker replied that he is on his way to the airport now and that by the time he returns, he will have to head to the chambers of the House of Representatives.
Mr Otedola then asked, if they can reschedule the transaction, but the Honorable Farouk disagreed and offered to bring in a third person to collect the bribe.
The lawmaker gave the phone numbers 08036513355, naming the person as TJ. (Who is TJ? that is obviously another mysterious hand in the transaction...chances are, he could have been one of Lawan's aide)

Acknowledging the transaction, Mr Farouk responded affirmatively to Otedola’s remark that if he receives the initial payment, then there will be a balance of $2.5million, saying “that’s right” while he said, he will be calling the third person to ensure the collection of the initial payment.

Below is the dangerous conversation words...
Otedola: How are you sir?  I don’t want to bring it to my house
Lawan: Oh, you would take it to your house
Otedola: No I don’t want to bring it to my house; it is a lot of money
Lawan: err… so where? Because I’m rushing to the… they are at the airport now?
Otedola:   Yes they are in the airport in the aircraft
Lawan: Well I can’t come over now and before they can come over now unless I send somebody to but I can’t because…by the time they come I should be…I have a lot of things to do myself
Otedola: Is there anybody you think I can give it to or maybe I should just postpone my trip to China till tomorrow?
Lawan: No, no it’s ok…I’ll arrange it with someone…let me give you his number 080
Otedola: hold on hold on
Lawan: 08036513355
Otedola: (Repeats number after him)What’s the name?
Lawan: TJ
Otedola: Sorry?
Lawan: aaarrh… TJ
Otedola: Ateezay?
Lawan: TJ!
Otedola: Teezay?
Lawan: No, Tj
Otedola: OK. So I will give him the balance; that is erm… 2.5 million dollars, yea?
Lawan: that’s right. Hold on. I’m calling him to be sure his phone is on…..

The Chairman, House of Representatives’ Ad Hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy probe, while presenting the 210-paged Fuel Subsidy report to a plenary session of the House of Representatives, on the 21st of April, moved a motion of recommedation that Otedola's 2 companies involved in this scandal be removed from the list for receiving forex from the Central Bank of Nigeria but failed to bring in the fuel.

NYSC AND NATIONAL SACRIFICE


Who will believe that NYSC is still posting corp members to troubled states like Yobe, Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, Borno and Bauchi states? Let's not pretend we do not know the security conditions of these states. How many top officials will send thier children to those states? NYSC should not put more people's lives at risk..... I don't think it is a fair deal because what safety guaranty is in place? When leaders are not willing to sacrifice their lives, why should young Nigerians with dreams and aspirations be sent to these states especially now? This is obviously not the right time to do that.
How many security operatives can protect themselves and their families...before they can protect others? The blood shed is already alarming and pretending nothing happens in this states is just false. To just wish them well and send them there is not going to be enough.....
The corps members, who expressed sadness as they received their call-up letters for the Batch B NYSC   service year, said they were confused as they did not know what to do due to the spate of bombings and other forms of insecurity in these states.

But speaking through the Borno State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Inuwa Bwala, in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Sunday, the Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, made a case for corps members to be posted to the state.
He argued that the security situation in the state was being exaggerated by detractors to further isolate the state from the rest of the country.
He said, “While it is true that we have security challenges, it is a fact that these challenges are not exclusive to Borno State.
“We don’t have on record any attack on visitors neither do we have any record of attacks on the NYSC camp or corps members posted to and currently serving in Borno State.”
THIS IS NIGERIA....WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?