REMEMBERING NIGERIA FOREMOST LEGAL ILUMINARY, GANI FAWEHINMI....7 YEARS ON

Yesterday make it seven years since Gani Fawehinmi died after a protracted battle with cancer. It was the demise of an astute lawyer and activist, whom the ‘masses’ and his admirers from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) adorned with the title ‘Senior Advocate of the Masses.

Here are some interesting facts about Gani’s life, background, and travails as an activist.

* Fawehinmi, popularly called Gani, was born on 22 April 1938 in Ondo, Ondo state. Gani was an only son of out of six children born to his mum. He was the first child.

* In January 1959, he headed for Lagos to stay with his uncle, the late Mr. Olu Akinfe at No.39, Abule-Nla Road, Ebute-Metta, Lagos. He got his first job as a Clerk in the High Court, Lagos. 

* On the 29th of April, 1961, he left the shores of Nigeria by Sea with M. V. Aureol Passenger Ship for the United Kingdom. He arrived Liverpool on the 12th of May, 1961. He travelled by train to London arriving Victoria Station in the evening of that day.

*On arrival in England, Gani received the result of his General Certificate of Education (G.C.E) Advanced Level which he took shortly before he left Nigeria. He passed very well. He then enrolled in the Holborn College of Law for the LLB degree of the University of London (External) in September 1961. He was in part II of the three year degree programme when his father died on February 5, 1963 and the source of his finance dried up. All efforts to secure financial help failed. He was forced by financial circumstance to drop out of the Holborn College as a full time student. He took a full time job as a Toilet Cleaner in Russell Square Hotel in Southampton Row, London. He did other cleaning jobs which included working as a sweeper in the old Gatwick Airport between February 1963 and August 1964. 

* He literally taught himself Law for parts II and III of the LLB degree course and sat for and passed all his examinations. He came back to Nigeria in early September 1964 carrying a small suitcase containing: 2 pairs of trousers, 3 shirts, 1 pair of shoe (apart from the one he was putting on), 2 pants, 2 singlets, 2 pairs of socks and 2 black suits, all of low quality which he bought at rock bottom prices in general sale at Caledonia Road, North London. 

* On his arrival in Lagos, he enrolled in the Nigerian Law School at No. 213A, Igbosere Road, Lagos for the compulsory three months course which he successfully completed. 

*While in college, he was popularly known as “Nation” because of his passionate interest in national, legal and political affairs. He was an avid reader of Daily Times and West African Pilot, the most popular newspapers at that time. 

* Chief Gani was called to the Nigerian Bar on the 15th of January, 1965. He practised briefly for three months with his elder brother, now Hon. Justice Rasheed Fawehinmi (Retd) at No.103, Herbert Macaulay Street, Ebute-Metta, Lagos.

* In April 1965, he established his Chambers at No. 116, Denton Street, Ebute-Metta, Lagos. In 1974, he moved the Chambers to his house at No. 28, Sabiu Ajose Crescent, Surulere, Lagos. In 1978, he finally moved the Chambers to its present site at No. 35, Adeniran Ajao Road, Ajao Estate,  Anthony Village, Lagos. The Chambers is reputed to be the largest Law Chambers in Nigeria.

*Gani Fawehinmi was elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the highest legal title in Nigeria, in September 2001

*Gani Fawehinmi has 14 children from 2 wives. Gani is married to Mrs. Ganiat Ibukun Fawehinmi, nee Orebela from Ago- Iwoye,She has eight (8) children for him. Gani has another wife, Mrs. Abike Fawehinmi, nee Ikuomuyilo, from Ondo. She has six (6) children for him. 

* Gani’s biography is the most voluminous for any Nigerian dead or alive with over 4,300 pages.

* A site has been dedicated to Gani. http://www.ganifawehinmi.com/. This site was built while he was alive.

* During Abacha’s regime, Gani was deported from Port Harcourt back to Lagos. This is the first of its kind when someone was deported from a state back to his home state.

* His international passport has been seized 7 times by security agents.

* Gani has been detained 40 times by security agents.

 * Chief Gani Fawehinmi was Dele Giwa's Lawyer till when he was killed by a parcel bomb on 19 October, 1986.

*Gani Fawehinmi was the only person who on sympathizing with President Olusegun Obasanjo on Stella’s death blamed him and Nigeria’s health system for her demise. He said “The events of Saturday and Sunday the 22nd and 23rd October, 2005 which have thrown the country into mourning should never be allowed to repeat themselves. We do not want another plane crash and if you bring in another wife before you constitutionally quit office on 29th May, 2007; please do not allow her to go for a cosmetic surgery for beautification again. We cannot afford another death of the President’s wife in Aso Rock”.

 “This is incredible. This is fantastic. This gives us hope that something good will begin to happen soon.” — Gani Fawehinmi

*The late Fawehinmi was a cheerful giver. Just as he fought for justice for the common man in the court, sacrificing his time, he never stopped to render financial aid to them. He set up a free library at Surulere in Lagos, which also demonstrated his keen interest in knowledge acquisition.That his major philanthropic gestures were in the spectrum of education cannot obliterate his contributions to feeding and clothing the poor. He did as much as he could.

*The late Fawehinmi was an advocate of the masses, fearless and fierce in advocating for the rights of the powerless in the society. Popularly known as the people’s advocate, he took up cases in court for defenceless people who could not afford to pay for his legal services. He championed the rights of the downtrodden in an unprecedented manner. Until his death, he fought for “ordinary” Nigerians whom he regarded as his constituency.The international community took notice of his many passionate humanitarian campaigns, and he was consequently awarded the Bruno Kreisky Prize on June 11, 1993, and the International Bar Association’s Bernard Simmons Award in 1998.

*Gani, as he was fondly called, died in the early hours of 5 September 2009 after a prolonged battle with lung cancer. He was 71 years old. Later he was buried on 15 September 2009 in his home town of Ondo, Nigeria. Gani Fawehinmi died as a disappointed man, because of the state of his country at the time of his death.

* In 2008 Mr Gani Fawehinmi rejected one of the highest national honours that can be bestowed on a citizen by the Nigerian government – Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) – in protest of the many years of misrule since Nigeria's independence.

*Gani was famous worldwide for his blunt and sharp words. Some of his memorable quotes are:

“The disappearance of Charles Taylor from Nigerian soil is a humiliating disgrace to Nigeria. Obasanjo must explain why this happened.” — Gani Fawehinmi

“There is nothing new in the speech. It is the same old wine in new bottles. It’s a disappointing statement. In fact it is a disastrous speech.” — Gani Fawehinmi

“I’m not surprised at this result, I’m saddened, not surprised. This government will do anything to keep its power by deceiving the people.” — Gani Fawehinmi