Former head of state, retired General Ibrahim Babangida has said that literature affords humans the veritable medium for self evaluation and motivation. He made this assertion in his keynote address at the dinner for award of NLNG's "The Nigeria Prize for Literature" and "The Nigeria Prize for Science" last Saturday in Lagos at the Muson Centre.

While he expounded the need for emphasis on science as a sure means of taking Nigeria and the African continent out of the economic woods, he said literature must not be relegated. "Our pursuit of scientific knowledge must not...be at the expense of our understanding of humanities, in particular literature.

"Literature, more than any of the disciplines in humanities, and I dare say, even science, provides us with best prism through which we could take a holistic view of ourselves, our social environment, and even our comparative location in our material world made possible by science, in order to ensure that we protect our humanity, and even raise it to a higher level of honour and integrity.

While the realms of scientific accomplishments define the material convenience and comfort of our lives, it is the soul-searching attributes of literature which define the quality of our lives. How we live or ought to live, coexist, resolve conflicts, spheres of governance, leadership, followership, and citizenship with all the attendant responsibilities, obligations, and expectations, which give meaning to our lives, falls in the realm of literature. Science and Literature are therefore natural siblings, in a more or less symbiotic relationship which is necessary and essential for the preservation of our humanity and culture."

General Babangida had attended the event against widespread speculations that he would stay away from it owing to criticisms and threats of boycott by writers.

The leadership of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) was conspicuously absent from the dinner.

Bookshelf learnt that though the Association had made a release distancing itself from administration of the awards and asserting that IBB was unfit for such a gathering owing to his actions in government that led to decline in the fortunes of literature and education, the ANA President, Dr Wale Okediran had jetted out of the country to the UK two days before the award dinner. The literature prize was shared by Mabel Segun, a trustee of the Association and Adimora Akachi-Ezigbo, a very active member of the Lagos branch.