All roads lead to the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, formerly known as the National Arts Theatre, this Sunday, December 14, for the highly anticipated 17th edition of the Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards.

The event is set to be hosted by the dynamic duo of Bukunmi ‘KieKie’ Adeaga-Ilori and Adams Ibrahim Adebola (popularly known as VJ Adams), with the Executive Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu, serving as the official Host Governor.

The ceremony promises to be a spectacular celebration of cinematic excellence. This year’s awards are not only a recognition of Nollywood’s best creative and technical talents but also a showcase of significant corporate and private support for the industry, highlighted by the endowment of key award categories.

These endowments underline a strategic partnership between the film industry and various high-profile entities and personalities.

The BON Awards proudly recognizes the commitment of several partners to fostering excellence in filmmaking. Among the esteemed endowers is the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, who has generously endowed the coveted Best Indigenous Movie (Yoruba) category, emphasising the importance of local cultural narratives.

Further bolstering the awards, the prominent Lagos monarch, Oba Saheed Elegushi, has endowed the most prestigious prize of the night, the Best Movie category, highlighting his commitment to the overall success and quality of Nigerian cinema.

Corporate sponsors are also showing strong support, with Addme championing acting talent by endowing the Best Actress of the Year category, while Indomie shows its support for emerging talent through the Best Child Actor award.

Abundish highlights the creative technical aspects of filmmaking by endowing the Best Use of Food in a Movie category.

The founder of BON Awards, Seun Oloketuyi, noted that these endorsements provide crucial resources and prestige to the categories, ensuring the continued celebration of authentic storytelling and technical innovation within the industry.

“The support from Rt. Hon. Obasa for the Best Indigenous Movie award emphasizes the importance of preserving and promoting our rich cultural narratives through film,” said Oloketuyi.

“Likewise, the commitments from Addme, Indomie, Abundish, and the generous support of Oba Elegushi underscore the value placed on acting prowess and the creative technical elements that bring our stories to life.”

As the biggest names in Nollywood gather in Lagos, all eyes will be on the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts for what is set to be one of the most memorable nights in Nigerian cinema.

The appropriateness or otherwise of security protection for a president’s family can be a subject of public debate. This debate is centred on the complex challenge of ensuring the safety of people connected to the presidency while being mindful of public accountability and the effective use of government resources.

This writer will focus solely on the provision of security for the president’s family, as understood, in layman’s terms. Recently, at a public function, President Tinubu’s son, Seyi,’s excessive security escort was criticized by Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka. The respected leader had argued that such resources were needed elsewhere.

From my study, it is standard international practice for a country’s president’s immediate family, including the children, to receive significant security protection. This is due to the high profile of the president and the potential national security risks that could arise from threats and various forms of harm to the president’s family members.

Nigeria is currently confronted by multiple security challenges like kidnapping and banditry, with the primary threat coming from the Islamic State of West Africa (ISWA) and Boko Haram. On that score, threatening or harming a president’s son, daughter, or wife could be used to blackmail the president and compromise his ability to perform state duties, thereby creating a national crisis. Thus, the goal of ‘excessively’ protecting the president’s family is to ensure the stability and continuity of the president’s function and, by extension, the nation, by mitigating high-level threats to the First Family.

I am not familiar with the local laws on the protection of private individuals, but, based on my research, in developed countries whose model of democracy Nigeria especially practices, such as the US, the provision of security by agencies like the DSS to the president’s immediate family is a federal law, not a discretionary choice.

The president’s family members often attend public schools or travel, requiring extensive, pre-planned security measures and an advance team to ensure their safety in such environments. Even the US law specifies that children of former presidents receive protection until they are 16 years old, unless declined.

In other climes, a sitting president can issue an executive order to extend protection to members of his family, including individuals not automatically covered by law. I will support this argument with two empirical evidence. Just before departing the White House, finally in January 2025, after the expiration of his constitutional two terms as president of the United States, Joe Biden extended protection for his adult children through the next seven months via an executive order.

That presidential order was critiqued by his successor, Donald Trump, and subsequently revoked by him. However, Trump himself did the same for his four adult children and two of their spouses before his first term ended in 2021, when they were given six months of additional protection beyond their stay in the government house. Thus, my interpretation of this subject is that, if it’s not unusual for a president before he leaves office to authorize an extended period of protection for their immediate family members, giving them full-time protection while holding the power is justified and not inappropriate.

-Tahir Hamsat is a Lagos-based journalist. He can be reached via 08051000485

Barely 16 hours after Governor Ademola Adeleke officially joined the Accord Party, the party’s national leadership has cleared him to participate in its gubernatorial primary.

The Nation recalled that Adeleke, on Tuesday evening, defected to the Accord Party alongside his deputy, Kola Adewusi, and other top aides.

In a statement, Elder Ibe Thankgod, Chairman of the Accord Party Screening Committee, confirmed that Adeleke had been screened ahead of Wednesday’s primary.

He noted that the governor met all the necessary requirements for nomination and participation, adding that the committee had cleared him as the sole aspirant for the party’s governorship ticket and completed all required documentation with relevant bodies.

The statement added that the committee presented Adeleke with a certificate of clearance and described him as a worthy gubernatorial aspirant.

Adeleke expressed gratitude to the screening committee and party leadership, affirming his readiness for the primary and the 2026 general elections.

“I am ready for the primary and I am ready for the general elections. We are winning by God’s grace,” he said.