SINCE 2004 when the Nigeria Prize for Literature was instituted by the Nigeria LNG Limited, many Nigerians have become conscious of the value of literature and the essence of creativity. The Prize therefore becomes a catalyst for the generation of literary talents as well as the refining of already established talents. Regardless of the specific genre of literature that is selected for each year, the entries indicate a vibrant flowering of talents across the country. The 2011 Prize focused on Children's Literature.My Selection as JudgeThe fact that I was appointed a Judge for the 2011 Prize Nigeria LNG Literature Prize remains a puzzle to me. A number of my colleagues mentioned to me that my name appeared among those appointed Judges for the Nigeria LNG Literature contest for 2011. Of course, I hardly could understand what that meant, so I dismissed the matter, but after about two weeks, I received a phone text message from Mr. Emma Nwatu, Senior Public Relations Officer, Nigeria LNG Limited, stating that I was appointed a Judge for the 2011 Nigeria Literature Prize. I subsequently got in the mail a formal letter of appointment.I knew very little about what the Prize entailed, so I got on the internet and obtained enormous information, which enlightened me adequately and also prepared my mind for the work, but what I could not resolve was knowing who nominated me. I still have not known.The Panel of JudgesWe were invited to meetings in Lagos at different times. There were five of us judges including the Chairperson. I acknowledged and appreciated the spread:Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo '' University of LagosProfessor David Ker''''''''''- The Catholic University, AwkaProfessor Yakubu Nasidi ''''''''' Ahmadu Bello Univ., ZariaProfessor Lekan Oyegoke '''' Olabisi Onabanjo Univ., Ogun StateProfessor Ini Uko '''''''''''''' University of UyoThere was also an Advisory Board on the Nigeria Prize for Literature, which was chaired by Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo. The members of the Advisory Board gave the judges the required orientation on how to approach the work. There were one hundred and twenty-three entries, which the judges immediately assessed, sorted and reduced to forty-three because many were not books for children, or were of very poor quality, and so did not qualify to be read.All of us judges had less than four weeks to read up the books and evaluate using the parameters:Publishing quality and editorial ''''''''- 10Relevance '''''''''''''''''''''' 15Vocabulary control/glossary ''''''''''' 25Characterization '''''''''''''''''' 10Techniques (dialogues, plot, etc.) '''''''' 25Illustrations '''''''''''''''''''' 05Core values/moral '''''''''''''''''10Coordination of the Evaluation ProcessEven though the time allowed the judges was very short for the work, and the Nigeria LNG officers regretted that, the Senior Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emma Nwatu was careful to gently prod us to meet the deadline by sending periodic e-mail and phone text messages to remind us of the time-lines. Sometimes, he sent the messages to the Chairperson and merely copied us, and I often got the under-lying messages.However, we were able to send our first short list of best twenty books from the forty-six entries. The submissions from the judges were collated and analysed so that the books were listed according to their incidence of occurrence in all the lists. From that spread sheet, we had to select another list of the best eleven books from the twenty. This was achieved prior to the second Joint Meeting of the Advisory Board and Panel of Judges on July 22, 2011.By the end of that meeting, we had reduced the number from twelve to six, and then to three. Unlike the usual, the judges shared enormous conviviality and collegiate courtesies throughout the period of the work and beyond. This was engendered largely by the peaceful nature of the members and the transparency and sincerity that characterized the principles applied to the process of the evaluation.Appraisal of the BooksGenerally, I found it revolting that so many books with seeming promise were marred by technical and editorial flaws. I always had Mai Nasara's The Missing Clock among my short listed books, but I was personally attracted to Rosemary S. Erazua-Oniha's Omachonu, Teresa Ameh'sThe Only Son, Uche Peter Umez's The Runaway Hero, Henry Akubuilo's Little Wizards of Okokomaiko, Ndidi Dhiazor Enenmor's One Little Mosquito and Denja Abdullahi's The Talking Drum. These stories offer children significant lessons on heroism, hard work, humility and tenacity as well as the history and cultural heritage of the multi-faceted Nigerian people.Other major issues in the books were the essence of a clean and healthy environment, the dangers of child-abuse, child-labour and child-trafficking in an evolving modern society, as well as the strategies of proper child-rearing. Generally, the stories hold several positive values for the child's mind. By treating these themes, many of the books pose diverse challenges to parents and children as well as the young and the old.Unfortunately, all of the books listed above, except one were condemned due to errors ' mechanical and typographical. However, Rosemary S. Erazua-Oniha's Omachonu that has very minimal errors lacks depth, despite the well evolved plot. Specifically, I found Denja Abdullahi's The Talking Drum, a collection of poems, refreshingly different from prose, but significant errors occur from the Preface of the book, through the Acknowledgment [sic] to the poems, which made the book to lose its appeal. Thus, in spite of the very attractive illustrations and the core values portrayed in many of the books, they could not make the last stage of evaluation.The final stage of evaluation involved three books, namely, Ayodele Olofinatuade's Eno's Story, Chinyere Obi-Obasi's The Great Fall and Mai Nasara's The Missing Clock, which the judges were to re-evaluate to select the best one. Prior to that stage, on the short list of eleven, I scored these three books as follows:Chinyere Obi-Obasi's The Great Fall '' 80Ayodele Olofinatuade's Eno's Story ''- 78Mai Nasara's The Missing Clock ''''' 71At the final stage to determine the best, I did not re-read the books immediately after the July 22, 2011 meeting in Lagos. I kept them from me and consciously created a safe distance from them physically and mentally.On Sunday, September 04, 2011, I approached the books with a invigorating zeal and a greater critical scruple than before. Several new features ' negative in some, and positive in some ' became apparent to me. I recognized the import of the stories anew as well as the styles and technical characteristics in the books. I realized that everything was essential to be considered and that made profound demands on me. I re-read the books with a scrupulous consciousness, as if I never read them before. The summary of my judgement was as follows:1. The Great FallThemes:Hard-workLoveThe reward for hard-workThe need to be focused in lifeThe result of haughtinessStyle:The book deploys the folktale technique to teach life's values to childrenIt makes extensive use of proverbs and wisesayingsThe flashback devise brings the past to the presentIllustrations are fairWeaknesses:Several typographical errorsUse of slang expressions ' p. 36 ' not advocated for children2. Eno's StoryThemes:The evil of superstitious beliefsThe angers of child abuseThe essence of public-private partnershipParental loveStreet children and the challenge that they pose to governmentWeaknesses:Few typographic errorsThe book uses the controversial issue of witch-children that the press publicized unduly about Akwa Ibom State between 2008 and 2010.***********3. The Missing ClockThemes:ResilienceHard-workUnityCommitmentKindnessAdventureGood neighbourlinessStyle:The missing clock becomes the metaphor for breakthrough in the Tobe familyThe loss of Meyiwa's expensive phone led to the failed car, which causes the return of Dandu, Meyiwa and Rshidi to the Tobe family. Rashidi then has time to plant ugu seeds for Mrs. Tobe, and this results in entrepreneurship ('green gold') as Rume Ekwensi introduces the e-commerce concept, etc.There are extensive explanatory notes and exploratory activities for readersBy October 06, 2011, when the Joint Panels of Advisory Board and Panel of Judges for the Literature and Science Prizes met at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos, to determine and announce the winners, I was impressed to see that four out of the five of us judges for the Literature Prize selected Mai Nasara's The Missing Clock as the winning entry for 2011. It was quite heartwarming that there was a winner for the Literature Prize, unlike the Science Prize that could not be won this year because no entry was found qualified.ObservationsBy instituting the Nigeria Prize for Literature, and by the tenacious commitment of the Nigeria LNG to ensure thoroughness, sincerity and transparency in the process of assessing the entries and selecting a winner, the Nigeria LNG achieves its major objectives of identifying excellent literature and rewarding it, encouraging and stimulating authorship and the development of Nigerian literary culture in terms of creative writing, production and reading.By placing the management of the assessment of the entries and selection of the winner in the hands of capable officers of the Nigeria LNG Limited, the Corporation gained the confidence of the members of the Panel of Judges and the Advisory Board of the Literature Prize.Generally, the whole concept of the Nigeria Prize for Literature is an invaluable contribution to the education sub-sector of Nigeria. By motivating the reading culture among Nigerians, the Prize strives to sustain an ideal that has been under threat in recent decades.Specifically, by devoting the 2011 Prize to Children's Literature, the Nigeria LNG Limited inspires in children the essence of reading, and by extension, exposes them to core values of the Nigerian people.CommendationI wish to acknowledge and commend the sincere efforts of the Nigeria LNG Limited in ensuring that the Prize is earned. I also congratulate the Nigeria LNG Limited for raising the worth of the Prize from fifty thousand dollars to one hundred thousand dollars to actually make the contest keen and the prize to be very attractive.RecommendationI recommend that the Nigeria LNG Limited should uphold its principles of transparency and fairness in every process of the Nigeria Prize for Literature (and of course Science). The Corporation must be careful not to subject any stage to the interference of ethnicity or politics as those constitute the bane of prestigious initiatives in Nigeria. The Corporation should also take care to sustain the trend of selecting credible judges from the different geographical zones of the country as it currently doesUko is Professor of English,University of Uyo
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