Grammy Award-winning Gospel Singer Announces Divorce After 20 Years Of Marriage Says “I failed and sinned

Grammy Award-winning Gospel Singer Announces Divorce After 20 Years Of Marriage

Says “I failed and sinned

 Grammy Award-winning gospel artiste, Israel Houghton has announced that he is officially divorced from his wife of twenty years, Meleasa Houghton.

In a statement to fans on his Facebook page, the singer admitted to failing and sinning in his marriage. He said that they tried to work through it for the last 5 years but the challenges proved to be too much to overcome.

Add captionIsrael Houghton with wife Meleasa in happier times

The full statement read as follows;

It is with a collective heavy heart that we announce that after over 20 years of marriage and a long separation, Meleasa and I are officially divorced.

Several years ago I failed and sinned in my marriage. Though this is new to many, it is not new to us as we have been working through this for over 5 years. Although we tried, the challenges in our relationship have proven too much to overcome. We have always handled our family and ministry with grace and generosity toward others, discretion, and privacy. So, for the sake of our amazing kids, we are also handling this privately with pastoral oversight and assistance. We choose to remain friendly and kind to each other going forward.

I am in the process of restoration and I have repented for my actions. Although I am sincerely sorry, and forgiven, I soberly realize that I will live with the consequences of my failings for the rest of my life. As this has become a public matter I want to apologize to the many who have supported my ministry through the years. I'm sorry for the many who will be hurt to learn of my personal failure. I regret any pain or disappointment that this news may cause you.

We thank you for your prayers and for allowing us to handle this privately with those who are set over us in this process.

Prayerfully

Adele Breaks Down After 4th Win @ 2016 BRIT Awards Adele won the MasterCard British Album of the Year on a triumphant evening at this year's BRIT Awards- her fourth win of the night. The Hello singer continued her incredible musical comeback with the prestigious prize at the annual ceremony. She was visibly upset as she received the fourth award of the night, and said: "I'm really sorry about swearing earlier and I'm really sorry for the ugly face." She went on to thank her fans, and added: "You're so amazing thanks so much, honestly you're incredible, you blow me away every time." But it was her family who were first in her mind, as she said: "Thank you to my boyfriend you support me in everything I do. And thank you to my lovely son, who is the love of my life. This is all for you peanut. She concluded happily: "I didn't get cut off and I didn't swear." The best and brightest the industry has to offer were joined by fans in London on Wednesday night, as the star collected the honour for her return record 25. Her album also spawned huge single Hello, which was recognised with the British Single award, whilst Adele also claimed the British Female Solo Artist gong.

Adele Breaks Down After 4th Win @ 2016 BRIT Awards

Adele won the MasterCard British Album of the Year on a triumphant evening at this year's BRIT Awards- her fourth win of the night.

The Hello singer continued her incredible musical comeback with the prestigious prize at the annual ceremony.

Adele

She was visibly upset as she received the fourth award of the night, and said: "I'm really sorry about swearing earlier and I'm really sorry for the ugly face."

She went on to thank her fans, and added: "You're so amazing thanks so much, honestly you're incredible, you blow me away every time."

But it was her family who were first in her mind, as she said: "Thank you to my boyfriend you support me in everything I do. And thank you to my lovely son, who is the love of my life. This is all for you peanut.

She concluded happily: "I didn't get cut off and I didn't swear."

The best and brightest the industry has to offer were joined by fans in London on Wednesday night, as the star collected the honour for her return record 25.

Her album also spawned huge single Hello, which was recognised with the British Single award, whilst Adele also claimed the British Female Solo Artist gong.

Gov. Okorocha Pledges Support For COSON

Gov. Okorocha Pledges Support For COSON

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has pledged full support for the activities of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), even as he called on all persons and organizations which deploy music in their businesses in Imo State to ensure that they respect the law and obtain appropriate copyright licenses from COSON.

Okorocha spoke at Government House Owerri recently, when he met with the leadership of COSON led by the Chairman, Tony Okoroji.

Tony Okoroji (l) presents some documents to Gov. Rochas Okorocha (r) while others watch

According to the Imo State helmsman, “Music has left America and London and is back to Nigeria now. So, this is our finest moment to make use of this special product. Probably, oil is giving way to allow the musical talent to come up. So the drop in oil price is increase in the price of music and I will like us to celebrate it. So we are proud of you. We are very proud of you and I am not mincing words, we are proud of you”.  

In underlining the support of his state by pledging that the Imo State government will immediately provide land for COSON to build a befitting headquarters in the state, he stated that Imo state has everything necessary for the success of the Nigerian entertainment industry.

Said he:  “Somehow, as small as the state might be in terms of size, this seems to me to be the pivot of which many activities in Nigeria will rotate. Imo has provided everything for this nation. Many of you may not know that the gas we talk about; the source of power is in Imo state and we are number one in gas in the whole of Africa. We have over 2.8 cubic trillion of gas deposit. The one next to us is Bayelsa. But Bayelsa is riverine. So if Nigeria could come here to set up a power station, we can power the whole of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

Speaking earlier, COSON Chairman, Tony Okoroji, commended Governor Okorocha for the rapid developments in Owerri, the state capital which are turning the city into a very attractive city; a town which he said could have been described as a glorified village not too long ago. According to Okoroji, Owerri has more first class hotel rooms per square kilometer than any other Nigerian city and it has become necessary that the state works closely with the entertainment industry to ensure that these hotel rooms are constantly filled with sustained tourism so as to provide good jobs and respectable income to the people of the state.  

The governor pledged close co-operation with COSON on the organization of important entertainment events in Imo State and gave strong indications that Imo State Government is ready to provide quality facilities and support to host the next COSON Week in 2017.   

The meeting with Governor Okorocha was prelude to the big COSON Stakeholders’ Forum in Owerri for copyright owners in the South-East and South-South states of Nigeria.

 On the COSON delegation to Governor Okorocha were top COSON members like Rub-a-Dub master, Ras Kimono; renowned Highlife crooners, Bright Chimezie and Ugo Stevenson; Queen of Love, Azeezat Allen; Fuji maestro, Aljhaji Sikiru Agboola; Celebrated musicologist, Hon John Ewelukwa Udegbunam; Chairman Music Label Owners Association of Nigeria (MULOAN), Mr. Joel Ajayi and COSON General Manager, Mr. Chinedu Chukwuji  

MAN And Many Fraud Allegations

MAN And Many Fraud Allegations

Given what are being unearthed within the ranks of the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) with regards to the vast parcel of land the body have in Abuja, there are speculations that criminality is very rife in the musicians association.

Pretty Okafor

In the last 21 years, PMAN has been neck-deep in dangerous squabbles among its members as on regular occasions, multiple accusing fingers have been pointed at each other in the direction of fraud, theft, embezzlement and misappropriation of its funds among other criminal acts.

Since the multiple factionalisation of the musicians’ body and presently, the semblance of a legitimate PMAN led by Pretty Okafor, the story surrounding the body is fraud and more fraud. It so loud that many followers of the music industry have begun thinking that the body has lost the art of making music and has embraced dirty politics and walking on the road to self destruct.

The musicians’ body led by fair-complexioned Pretty Okafor have been embroiled in accusations, claims and counter claims to the effect that some former leaders of PMAN forged relevant and necessary papers to illegally sell the priced land acquired by the association following the incorporation of another body purportedly registered at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as a None Government Organisation (NGO).

The matter is complex and even complicated to the extent that truce being arranged by some staunch stakeholders is constantly hitting a brick wall.

 As Beats-Onit is still investigating the matters before the Zone Two Police Command in Lagos, it a deal that more will be made known to our numerous followers in due course.

Uzoichikere1@ yahoo.com, uzoichikere1@gmail .com, 08051524415

Engaging in blame game and castigation of the last administration under en President Jonathan is a means to conceal the sad inadequacies of the present Buhari-led government.

While Nigeria and the people suffer the consequences of this government's lack of policy direction, the president, Alhaji Mohammad Buhari, has continued to juncket from one obsqure country to another purportedly in search of investors.

Infrastructure that will attract foreign investors are dwindling on account of bad economic state of the nation. However, the people are being asked to be endlessly patient.

The sooner the Buhari/APC administration faces the task of building blocks that will support diversification of the economy, and do less of this blame game, the better for the entire country.

Keke, Rochas, Rounds-about And Poverty In Heartland

Keke, Okoroch, Rounds-about And Poverty In Heartland

A first time visitor to Owerri, Heartland State capital, will notice two features which have become the city's signpost. Now, hold your horses before they go haywire; the three wheelers (keke) and scores of rounds about that have become the town's constant feature. They seem to be the only eloquent achievement of the moufler-wearing Governor, Rochas Okorocha. Before you come back to a road junction you just passed, a round about has been constructed.
As for keke, don't go there! They aim to out do jeeps, heavy duty trucks, trailers and the like. The operators are ever hell bent on pushing any other road user out of the way with vehemence coupled with verbal abuses should anyone dare call them to order.
In all of this, it is the breeding of debilitating poverty, deprivation and denial of the peoples' rights that one feels. Keke operator is only being kept busy; being given the feeling that he will finish paying his debt occasioned by the hire purchase status of his keke.
But unbeknown to him, as he keeps plying the Owerri streets in his over-loaded and over-flogged keke, the life span depreciates faster; by the time he completes payment, the damned keke is no more and back to square zero.

CAN'T GOV. OKOROCHA DO BETTER THAN KEKE AND CONSTRUCTION OF ROUNDS ABOUT? ARE THERE NO BETTER WAYS OF EMPOWERING OUR YOUTHS RATHER THAN MAKING THEM KEKE OPERATORS?