Welcome to Ikenna Ugwu's Blog

Prisoner of Love It took just one day to fall in love with Osarome; little moment of closeness, of eye contacts – sizing ourselves, measuring love as with a cup. We couldn’t even express ourselves, our desires. We were so shy like that, afraid, of what would happen, of what would not happen. It was difficult to hold hands or even cuddle. I was scared of many things I didn’t know; of things I needed to be certain about - Infatuation. Crush. Love. Which? It wasn’t easy. That day, she told me how Ben used to abandon her for days, weeks, even months running after other girls. “I don’t like being away from my boyfriend. But he did not understand. He never cared, yet I loved her.” Now she wonders if she could love again. I understand everything, and that is the trouble with what I feel now - time and distance would be our enemy. My affection for Osarome grew by the day. I tried to tame it, despite what I felt, to make it understand that Osa lived far from me; that she hates to b

Hello IUB readers, the political environment in Nigeria got a little more than saturated in the past few weeks. And after the election last Saturday it was all foggy and unpredictable, the whole country enveloped in that pendant, palpable anxiety, apprehension, excitement as the votes were counted at the ICC Abuja. Some said the experience was a little more than "who wants to be a millionaire". Finally, and thankfully, at about 5:15 pm yesterday it rained. President Goodluc k Jonathan, conceding defeat, had called and congratulated General Buhari. It was such a huge relief. It was more than water showering from the high sky, no, it was wild excitement, unprecedented celebration, victory for Nigeria; there was love in the air. The social media went agog with congratulatory "love" messages. The world had their eyes on us. A new government was born. I like the way Pa Ikhide.R Ikheloa put it, "the change of baton between the PDP and the APC, that breakaway facti

Ok, here is the big moment you've been waiting for. If you are an unpublished writer and you reside in any African countries, here is a big opportunity to step into the limelight. Emerging Voices 2015 :   The Financial Times in association with Oppenheimer Funds has set a big stage to recorgnise and of course reward creativity  and extraordinary artistic talent in fiction literature, film-making and other forms of art. We wish you best of luck! Read more info about the prize here

It is few days before the 2015 general election, and as we count down, the PDP and APC and their candidates must consider the wise admonition by Simon Sinek, that “leadership is not about the next election, it is about the next generation.” The big contenders are making last-minute effort, casting their nets. By finding a way to postpone the election earlier scheduled for February 14, President Jonathan and his PDP, no doubt made significant inroads catching more fish in this big river called Nigeria, at least more than they ordinarily would have in their net if the election were not shifted. The postponement also served well to defuse the palpable fear that hovered around us. It loosened the gripping claws of fears of war and death caused by the camps threatening fire and brimstone.   But the story has not ended. General Muhammadu Buhari, the seemingly popular choice of the people now has had more than enough to chew. They have tried, in many mysterious ways, to pull him down. Bu

" Reading makes a full man;confidence a ready man; writing an exact man" - Anonymous  …my musings on Mamo – Helon Habila’s introspective character Today is World Book Day - 5 th March 5, 2015 - a day set aside by UNESCO to celebrate authors, books and reading every year. This celebration is observed by over hundreds of nations across the world. How are you celebrating? I hope you are not left out. For me, I didn't buy myself a new book this week, and couldn't go for any book event or reading sessions happening around town: just recuperating from a bout of malaria. However, I am here doing it my little way. So today, since I couldn't get myself a new book - and no one surprised me with a book gift – I turned to my modest library. I wanted something original, captivating and absorbing. I followed my fingers, carefully rummaging through the shelf. It is Helon Habila’s Measuring Time that called me. I answered. Recently, Helon Habila, Te