civil activist and philanthropist, Princess Olatorera Majekodunmi-Oniru has urged Nigerians to embrace national unity and peaceful activism in advocating for justice for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, ahead of the October 20 remembrance of the #EndSARS massacre.

In a statement released on Thursday, Princess Olatorera decried the continued adjournment of Kanu’s decade-long trial, asking, “How many more MNKs are abandoned in Nigerian prisons?”

She expressed hope that Kanu would be granted freedom before the significant October 20 date, which historically unites Nigerians against injustice.

The activist emphasised the need for a united, non-partisan front grounded in patriotism and dignity. She condemned the incarceration of visionaries while “exalting kleptocrats” and called for accountability among public officials, warning against complacency in the face of regressive leadership and systemic injustice.

“We must reverse the absurdity of jailing visionaries while exalting kleptocrats. It is unacceptable for unqualified public officials with falsified certificates to continue misusing the nation’s wealth and resources meant to transform millions of lives through the power of highest-quality education, infrastructure, and innovation,” she said.

We must resist the normalisation of regressive leadership and inhumane injustice through complacent silence. Let our voices rise with grace. Let our steps be boldly peaceful.

“And let our rightful demands be honored promptly. Every citizen is entitled to a dignified life, to freedom of speech, of movement, and of association.”

Princess Olatorera also highlighted the deep divisions that have plagued Nigeria for decades, along lines of ethnicity, religion, financial class, education, gender, culture, race, disability, and age, stressing the urgent need for compassion, courage, and conscience in governance.

“We have been intentionally divided for decades by ethnicity, financial class, religion, education, gender, culture, race, disability, and even age,” she said.

“Discrimination sits entrenched in every facet of national life. It is a glaring mandate for our nation to show that compassion, courage, and conscience still live within our governance and our people.”

“Justice delayed for one is justice denied for all,” she said.

Describing the campaign to #FreeNnamdiKanu as a moral awakening that needs a unified quest, Princess Olatorera called for leadership based on selflessness, merit, fairness, and empathy, urging Nigerians to prioritise genuine developmental capacity over superficial displays of power and wealth.

She pointed out ongoing national challenges, including unstable electricity, widespread poverty, and a weakening naira, as evidence of systemic leadership failures.

She underscored the importance of October 20 as a day for national reflection and unity, stating that only through justice and equality can Nigeria prosper and protect the fundamental rights of its citizens.

She said, “Sixty-five years of independence, yet stable electricity remains unachieved. Poverty engulfs more than 90% of our people, and the naira now trades at roughly ₦1,500 to a dollar.

“These are not mere statistics; they are living evidence of leadership failure that should no longer be tolerated.

“October 20 remains a generationally significant day for national reflection against extreme hardship and unspeakable oppression, a day to transcend division and reaffirm our shared humanity.”

”Once justice begins to breathe better, Nigeria begins to rise and prosper into a nation where every citizen is protected from arbitrary deprivation of liberty and from toxic limitations of fundamental human needs. The time is now, or the suffering gets deeper,” she added.

(SaharaReporters)

The Lagos State House of Assembly often hailed as the most powerful and independent state legislature in Nigeria — is once again in the headlines, but not for groundbreaking lawmaking or bold oversight. Instead, it is for a line item in the 2025 budget that has left citizens and policy analysts questioning the state’s spending priorities: N4.5 billion for the purchase and installation of forty 50KVA generators a sum that, at N90.7 million per unit, represents one of the most expensive power procurement exercises by any state legislature in Nigeria’s history.

This revelation, first reported by SaharaReporters following a review of the state’s approved budget, has triggered a wave of online debates, civil society commentaries, and calls for legislative accountability. Many Lagosians are wondering why, in a state that prides itself on being the economic powerhouse of Nigeria and Africa’s fifth-largest economy, lawmakers still need to budget billions for personal power supply — particularly when Lagos’ budget runs into trillions and should, in theory, be capable of addressing infrastructure needs like uninterrupted electricity.

But the N4.5 billion generators  procurement is just one piece of a bigger picture. This legislature has, in the past three years, drawn criticism for budget lines that include billions for cars, houses, landscaping projects, and even “thanksgiving events.” The cumulative picture raises questions about legislative excesses, weak public financial oversight, and the widening disconnect between elected officials and the citizens they represent.

Before diving into the specifics of the generator procurement, it’s important to understand why the Lagos State House of Assembly is such a unique institution. Lagos is not just Nigeria’s most populous state; it is also its commercial hub, contributing roughly 30% of Nigeria’s GDP. This economic clout translates into one of the country’s largest state budgets, with revenues surpassing many African nations.

The House of Assembly, composed of forty members, wields significant budgetary and oversight powers. Its Speaker and principal officers have historically acted as powerbrokers, influencing gubernatorial decisions, party primaries, and even federal appointments. This concentration of power has made the Lagos Assembly both admired and feared — but also susceptible to allegations of self-enrichment and fiscal recklessness.

According to the 2025 budget document, the project description reads: “Purchase and installation of forty 50KVA Generators.” The number forty is not coincidental — there are forty elected lawmakers in the Lagos House of Assembly. While the budget does not explicitly state that each lawmaker is to receive one generator, the one-to-one ratio strongly suggests that the purchase may be intended as individual allocations rather than collective infrastructure for the Assembly complex.

At N90.7 million per generator, the cost has sparked outrage. By comparison, a brand-new 50KVA diesel generator in Nigeria typically retails between N15 million and N20 million, depending on the manufacturer and features. Even after factoring in installation costs and possible “public procurement mark-ups,” analysts argue that the price remains highly inflated.

This latest procurement controversy comes on the heels of several others:

• Vehicle Procurement: Between 2023 and 2024, the Lagos Assembly spent N45 billion on vehicles for lawmakers — including backup cars, utility vehicles, and official cars. For 2025, an additional N20.6 billion is budgeted for a new round of vehicle procurement. If fully disbursed, Lagos would have spent N65 billion on vehicles for 40 lawmakers in just three years — an average of over N1.6 billion per lawmaker.
• Property Purchases: The Assembly is also spending N6.2 billion to acquire forty properties in Lagos and Abuja. The official purpose of these properties remains undisclosed. A billion naira has already been disbursed in the first half of 2025.
• Capital Projects: N30.3 billion is earmarked for “new fence/access road/landscaping and beautification.” Rehabilitation of the Assembly complex — including gatehouses, prayer complexes, car parks, and leisure facilities — will cost N11.041 billion.
• Thanksgiving Event: In 2024, critics accused the Speaker of authorizing N200 million for a thanksgiving event that civil society groups argued “should not have cost more than N2 million.”

When these expenditures are added together, the pattern suggests a legislature that is spending heavily on its own comfort, security, and perks, rather than on public-facing projects that directly benefit Lagosians.

Perhaps the most striking irony is that Lagos, which hosts some of Nigeria’s most significant power infrastructure — from the Egbin Power Plant to independent power projects (IPPs) — still budgets billions to buy private  generators for its lawmakers. This is a reflection of the national energy crisis, where even public institutions cannot rely on grid power.

However, analysts point out that instead of spending billions on private power solutions, the Assembly could have invested in renewable energy or small-scale solar grids for its members’ constituencies, which would have a multiplier effect on productivity and economic growth.

The generator procurement story has sparked sharp reactions:

• Civil Society Groups such as the BudgIT Foundation and SERAP (Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project) have called for a public explanation and urged Lagosians to demand accountability through the Freedom of Information Act.
• Social Media Commentary: On X (formerly Twitter), Lagos residents have described the budget item as “obscene,” “tone-deaf,” and “proof that lawmakers see public funds as personal entitlements.”
• Opposition Politicians have seized on the controversy, accusing the ruling party of wasteful spending and using the Assembly as a vehicle for patronage.

Beyond social criticism, there are formal allegations of corruption. The Lagos State Anti-Corruption Coalition filed a petition with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the alleged mismanagement of N17 billion meant for the construction of a gate at the Assembly complex.