Ikemba Speaks

Nwokoma could still hear the eerie sound made by his pursuers.  Their regalia were very simple. A long flowing white gown which covered them from head to toe. Except for a couple of feathers tucked behind both ears, and red beads which they wore on their wrists, they wore nothing else. They so easily handled the long whip in their right hands. Nwokoma could swear they were the longest he had ever seen in his entire life. He caught only the slightest of glimpses of their foot wear. They surely were sandals and they were black and flat. He still could not fathom exactly what he did to incur their wrath. He was still trying to catch his breath when suddenly out of the corners; they appeared again, eyes blazing in naked fury. The adrenalin pumped yet again into his veins as he took off in the first direction in sight. He ran through four very long streets. For some bizarre reasons, the streets were empty like the residents had been warned ahead of some impending evil . ...

Jane and Blaize won the award of the best couple in their department, in their faculty, as well as in the entire school in their final year.  Their relationship was among the most talked about issue in the school. Even the campus fellowships could not help envying them as they seemed so perfect together, and so happy. Their love was made in heaven. Or, so it seemed. While Blaize was an undergraduate of Mechanical Engineering, Jane was a Law Undergraduate.  They both graduated in the same year, and by stroke of luck, served in the same state. Just before the end of their service year, their parents ensured that they were married. They were consequently retained in their serving posts after their service year. Three years into the marriage, Jane became very quiet in public outings and would not talk except talked to. And even then, she would always find a way to quickly excuse herself to be alone. Her family and friends tried to, albeit in vain,  to pry from he...

Shem Obafaiye, Lagos State Commandant of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps was a relatively unknown quantity, at least in the media and public eye, until his now famous “Oga at the top” saga.....A spin-off from his popular interview on Channels Television. Many people, Old and Young, Rich and Poor, Famous and obscure dread any form of public speaking...particularly one that involves the interviewee looking into a tube, and bathed with lights....very conscious that, possibly everybody he knows may be watching him talk. That was the situation the soon-to-become celebrity Obafaiye found himself the day he was interviewed by Channels Television. But really, what is the big deal about media interviews anyway? Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, interviews are opportunities to communicate, convey already existing information, and make a favourable impression. And whether you believe it or not, a media interview is no different from an ordinary con...

Teen pop star Justin Bieber ha s become the latest celebrity to reach for the stars, by signing up to go into space with Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic. British entrepreneur Branson announced on Twitter on Wednesday that Bieber, 19, and his manager, Scooter Braun, were the latest "future astronauts." Bieber tweeted in response, "let's shoot a music video in SPACE!!" Virgin Galactic commercial space flights, which are slated to begin next year, have reportedly already drawn high profile passengers including physicist Stephen Hawking as well as actors Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. At a charity auction during the Cannes film festival last month, one guest paid $1.2 million to purchase a seat next to actor Leonardo DiCaprio on Virgin Galactic. Last year, "Two and a Half Men" actor Ashton Kutcher became the 500th person to sign up. A seat on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, a six-passenger, two-pilot spaceship,...

Ikeja City Mall has been ranked among the 3 top shopping centres in Sub-Saharan Africa! According to Sagaci Research, a market intelligence firm specializing in providing insights into industries and consumer segments in African markets, a number of shopping centres in Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Nigeria present high international standards and are therefore are ranked AA or A by Sagaci Research. The Sagaci report presents a detailed picture of shopping cent re s across Africa’s fastest growing markets (with 29 countries across North and Sub-Saharan Africa researched). South Africa is conspicuously missing from the list.  Based on shopping centre attractiveness for international brands, the top five shopping centres in sub-Saharan Africa are ranked as follows:– Name of mall Country City Gross leasable area (sqm) Ranking Sea Plaza Senegal Dakar 14,000 AA Cap Sud Ivo...