Gani Fawehinmi: Three Years Gone, But Still Missed by Nigerians

Today, September 5, 2012, marks the third anniversary of the death of the legal luminary, Abdul-Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi. Popularly known as Gani Fawehinmi, he died of cancer on Saturday, 5th of September, 2009 at the ripe age of 71. There are some important facts worthy of note about this legal practitioner.

Record has it that Gani Fewehinmi handled about 5000 court cases free of charge, most of which he won. Having spent most of his days fighting against oppressive and corrupt governments, and although long overdue to have been made a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), he never got the title until 2001, about 40 years after being called to bar. Yet he was proud to say “Since I started to practice law 43 years ago, I think I have trained more that 230 lawyers. Some of them are judges and Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs).” However, most Nigerians even prefer to refer to him as a SAM (Senior Advocate of the Masses), a title he got from the students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).

A recipient of numerous awards, it is most important to note that Fawehinmi rejected an offer of a National award (OFR) by the government. Part of his response to this: “I cannot accept the ‘honour’ of OFR (Officer of the Federal Republic), whether now or in the life beyond. How can I wake up in the morning and look at the insignia of honour bestowed on me under a government that persecutes anti-corruption efforts, particularly those of Nuhu Ribadu?”

The park at the Ojota area of Lagos named in his honour has since become Nigeria’s primary spot where the suffering masses gather to expose their wounds and protest their unrelieved oppression worsened by the staggering corruption of their so-called leaders.

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