Posted by 9jabook.com on September 5, 2009 at 1:36am
Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi, 71, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former presidential aspirant, is dead. The prominent social activist was reported dead in the early hours of this morning, after a two-year battle with cancer.
Born on April 22, 1938, Gani dedicated his life to the defence of human rights and criticism of government insensitivity.
Mr Fawehinmi was the founder and presidential aspirant of the National Conscience Party in 2003.
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Posted by 9jabook.com on September 15, 2009 at 8:58pm
At 3:25pm on Tuesday, September 15, 2009, the man who famously said of himself - “I am not a middle of the road man” - finally came to the end of his road, six feet beneath the earth, in his Oka, Ondo hometown, next to his mother.
The journey to the final resting place for Gani Fawehinmi, fondly called ‘Gani’, had commenced earlier in the day, with a lying-in-state at the Oba Adesanoye Civic Center in Ondo Town.
The roll call
Tuesday turned out to be a day government officials fell over themselves to identify with the late lawyer, to be seen by his side as the world bade him goodbye. Three state governors: Edo’s Adams Oshiomhole, Jigawa’s Sule Lamido and the host governor, Olusegun Mimiko were in attendance. The Osemawe of Ondo, Victor Kiladejo was represented by his wife.
Also present were former presidential aspirant, Olu Falae; Reuben Fasoranti, Frederick Fasheun and Gani Adams of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC); Ledum Mitee, President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP); former Kano State governor, Abubakar Rimi; Publicity Secretary of the Action Congress (Lagos State), Joe Igbokwe and human rights lawyer Femi Falana. Former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari was represented by Yomi Tokoya.
Gani’s body arrived the Civic Center at 10:34am, in a procession of students, labour activists, National Conscience Party members, lawyers, musicians and family members.
Ten minutes later, Mr Mimiko arrived in an unmarked bus, along with his wife and former minister, Olu Agunloye. Mr Lamido arrived at 11am, closely followed by the flag-waving MOSOP contingent who started a dance procession around the Center.
Homily
At the Ondo Central mosque where some of the funeral rites were held, the Chief Imam, Basiru Alimi advised Nigerians to emulate the commendable life Gani led.
In his words; “Gani has done his own part on earth, let us all be courageous enough to stand against injustice and oppression which was Gani’s hallmark.
“We should all endeavour to always say the truth at any point in our lives, so that people will be able to say good things after our exit.”
Day of tributes
It was essentially a day of tributes, from the Civic Center to the graveside, as all those present paid homage to the departed lawyer, politician and human rights activist.
Adams Oshiomhole, describing himself as a “beneficiary of Gani’s services,” said: “Gani left us with an unfinished business, the business of building a country; one that can provide for all its citizens, one in which the University system cannot be shut down for twenty-four hours because that is locking out the future; one in which no one will throw excess food in the dustbin when there are millions who are starving; one in which no one will be denied justice, merely on account of the fact that he cannot afford legal fees.” Deebari Gbaranor Keeper, spokesperson for MOSOP was profuse in his appreciation of the late Gani’s contributions to the Niger Delta struggle. “This man came, fought for the Ogoni people, stood by us in the time of trauma, when the military under Abacha wanted to crush the Ogoni people... after the death of Ken he continued to support us, till today, so we’ve come all the way from Ogoni to pay him [our] last respects, and we are praying that more people like this who are not hindered by boundaries , who are not limited by their tribes,
who see human beings as human beings, no matter where you come from, more of these should come in Nigeria...” According to him, the relationship between the late Ken Saro Wiwa and Gani was essentially of “a star here [recognising] a star in Ogoniland.”
A rejected leader
Omosolape Fawehinmi, son of the late activist’s elder brother, described his Uncle as “a leader that Nigeria rejected.” “I was at the Akure Township Stadium yesterday (Monday), those people that were fighting him, that did not see any good thing in what he was doing, were the same ones sitting down [in] the VIP [stands]. Shame on them!” He told NEXT of his wish to see people “come up and continue” his uncle’s struggles, adding ruefully, “but a lot of people are cowards, they will not do it...” Against the backdrop of the fact that Gani spent his life fighting the failings of Nigeria’s successive governments, few could resist the temptation to lash out at the current crop of leaders. Constitutional lawyer and professor of law, Itse Sagay, speaking about the ongoing University teachers’ strike described Nigeria’s leaders as “insensitive” and “unreasonable.” “Our present leaders are barbarians and they really have to be compelled to accept the view that without education there is no development. Everything will turn out well - at the end; because the struggle that ASUU is engaged in now is like a do-or-die battle for the survival of education in this country.”
Future of activism
Regarding the future of activism, he was also hopeful. “I remember that when Chief Awolowo died, we were all very depressed, but see what has happened. Great people have come up after him, inspired by him and I think Gani too was one of them. So he has created a spirit of activism, of resistance to injustice, and that spirit lives on. There are many young people who will pick up the fight from where he stopped, I have no doubt about it.” Frederick Fasheun, founder of the Oodua People’s Congress, said: “Every Nigerian knows about the death of Gani Fawehinmi, every Nigerian knows what Gani Fawehinmi was and I’m sure there is a bit of Gani Fawehinmi in every Nigerian by now.”
Buried in tiled grave
The torrent of tributes didn’t cease even as the golden casket lay in the tiled grave, moments away from being sealed.
Gani’s fellow activist and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana assured him that “we shall never betray you. All your dreams shall come to pass...” From the USA, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka sent a wreath and a poetic tribute, AFTER GANI, read on his behalf by Joe Okei Odumakin of the Campaign for Democracy (CD).
“Weighed beneath loss, the people moan: “Who next?” Alas, the streets and pavings cry: Who’s left?” Hours earlier, as though in pre-emptive answer to Soyinka’s fitting query, Adams Oshiomhole had declared, at the Civic Center: “Gani cannot die for as long as a Nigerian lives, because when [a] man lives in the hearts of the people, [for] as long as those people are alive, the man is alive.”
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Gani rejected my advice to accept national honour from Yar'Adua -former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Muhammed Uwais • He handled more than 5,000 cases free of charge - Aondoakaa
A former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Muhammed Uwais, has disclosed that the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi rejected his advice on the national honour, which Gani was nominated for in 2008.
Justice Uwais, while speaking with newsmen, on Wednesday afternoon, at the Ikeja home of the late Fawehinmi, stated that he had advised Gani to take the national honour.
Uwais, who desctribed the late Fawehinmi as a “principled and dogged fighter for the downtrodden, stated that Gani had on receiving the nomination letter of the honour, called him to seek his advice.
Uwais said: “Sometime last year, he was to be awarded a national honour and it was conveyed to him. He called me from London and asked for my advice. He wanted to know if he should accept or reject the honour.”
The retired chief justice further stated that he had told the late Fawehinmi that the honour was coming from the people of Nigeria and that he should accept it, to which he claimed the late Fawhinmi said, ”all right.“
He stated that it was surprising to him the following day when he received the news that the late Fawehinmi had rejected the honour through a press release that was made available to many of the major national dailies in the country.
Uwais stated that his encounters with Fawehinmi were friendly and were of mutual respect. He said that the only valedictory service attended by Fawehinmi was the one in his (Uwais’s) honour.
He stated that he would miss Fawehinmi’s friendship and kindness while also stating that the late lawyer was a very principled person, who fought for good governance.
Meanwhile, more people have continued to pay their respect to Fawehinmi as the chairman of DAAR Communication, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, Donald Duke Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and some other Nigerians were at his Ikeja, Lagos, home on Wednesday.
Dr. Dokpesi described Fawehinmi as a “great patriot, who led and defended the ordinary masses of Nigeria.” He also stated that Gani offered his legal services free of charge to both Independent Broadcasting Association of Nigeria and DAAR Communication “during their trying times.”
He prayed that the Almighty God should “grant Gani’s immediate family and indeed all Nigerians, the fortitude and courage to bear the irreparable loss.“
Dr. Braithwaite described Gani as a “colleague and brother” in their early days of their beloved profession. He said he particularly admired Gani’s “ultimate compliment” to him.
He stated that Gani had once told him that he (Braithwaite) inspired him (Gani) and that he appreciated his struggle for human rights. He said that history would judge the late Fawehinmi kindly. Rasheed Adegbenro, the Director of Corporate Affairs of MAN, who represented the president of the association to honour Fawehinmi, stated that the late legal icon “touched the conscience of the society and gave meaning to fairness and justice.
It was also disclosed that the late Chief Fawehinmi, SAN, handled more than 5,000 cases for many Nigerians at no cost.
The Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa, disclosed this on Wednesday at a valedictory court session organised for him by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), in conjunction with the Lagos State Judiciary at the premises of the Lagos High Court in Igbosere.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa (SAN) described Chief Fawehinmi as a noble man, a source of hope to the masses and the pride of Nigeria.
The event which saw all the judges of the Lagos High Court and members of the bar, who were fully robed in attendance, was presided over by the newly sworn-in Chief Judge of the state, Hon. Justice Inumidun Enitan Akande.
In her address on the occasion, Justice Akande described Chief Fawehinmi as a man of great passion who stood firmly and consistently on the part of justice.
She said although Chief Fawehinmi was no more, he left behind a worthy legacy, noting that he stood tall as an accomplished legal luminary.
Justice Akande, while expressing her condolences on behalf of her colleagues on the bench to Fawehinmi’s family, regretted that he died while a new chapter was being opened in the Lagos State judiciary.
The president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), in his speech entitled “Gani Fawehinmi: A Dogged Fighter Departs In A Blaze Of Glory,” lamented the loss occasioned by the death of the legal luminary and noted that the tribe of genuine activists and consistent advocates of the rights of the common man was dwindling in quality and quantity.
“That the gadfly chose this period when despondency hangs thickly in the Nigerian firmament to bid us farewell makes the impact of the departure debilitating,” he said.
Akeredolu stated further that amidst the torrents of encomiums from both Nigerians and members of the international community on the contributions of this icon in the field of law and, more importantly, on his relentless crusade for the emancipation of the downtrodden, the totality of all this was yet to define all the qualities of the late Fawehinmi.
“This selfless advocate of the masses, public litigator par excellence, philanthropist, who acted as if condemned to do good, the scourge of deluded potentates and megalomaniac pimps, pious, yet unobtrusive with hypocritical display of holiness, erected monuments in good deeds which promise to lock time in a fierce battle in the centuries ahead,” he stated further.
Akeredolu, while condoling with the family of the late lawyer, stated that those who appeal to the government to immortalise him should hold their breath, saying “the best form of reminding ourselves that this strange strand of the human specie passed through this place on the planet is to continue his good deeds.”
The chairmen of the three branches of the NBA in Ikeja, Lagos and Ikorodu also delivered speeches on the occasion.
Personalities at the event included the former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Hon. Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais (rtd), Mr. J. B. Dawodu (SAN), a member of the body of benchers, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Mrs Priscilla Kuye and Mr. Femi Falana.
Neighbours, artisans and other sundry employees of the lawyer were full of praises for him on Wednesday as his remains were laid-in-state at the inner chambers of his sprawling law firm at Ajao Estate in Anthony Village area of Lagos State.
Pa Yemi Osobukola , one of the landlords and a close door neighbour to Fawehinmi said that the siting of the deceased’s law firm in the estate popularised the area.
Pa Osobukola expressed the hope that the late Chief Fawehinmi would make Aljana (heaven), saying that his law firm was a befitting legacy left behind for the residents of the estate who had great respect for him.
Another landlord in the estate, Ambassador Kunle Adeyemi, described the late fiery Lagos lawyer as a very good neighbour who performed his civic responsibilities creditably in the management of the estate.
Also, his security, guard for years, Mallam Abdulrhaman Sadidi, said he was encouraged to work for the deceased lawyer because he stood for the truth and he was always doing good all the time.
“I loved him because of what he did, both professionally and privately, for the less-privileged. And I was further encouraged because of what he did for people both legally and morally. Above all, he paid for my pilgrimage to Mecca in 2007,” said Abdulrhaman.
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