Who reasonably passes as Nigeria’s own version of the American icon, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., died some hours ago, at age 71. Chief Gani Fawehinmi [ganifawehinmi.com], the most prominent human and civil rights advocate Nigerian has ever had, died from complications of lung cancer.
An indefatigable critic of military dictatorship and corruption, in the process of his crusades for the rule of law, the hopes and aspirations of the poor and the oppressed, he fought many battles against military dictatorship as a result of which he had been arrested several times by the military governments and its numerous security agents. He was dumped in many police cells and detained in several prisons between 1969 and 1996.
In 1993 Fawehinmi was awarded the biennial Bruno Kreisky Prize. This prize, named in honour of Bruno Kreisky, is awarded to international figures who advance human rights causes. In 1998, he received the International Bar Association’s Bernard Simmons Award in recognition of his human-rights and pro-democracy work. In 1994 he and some other notable Nigerians formed the National Conscience Party of Nigeria which exists till today and he stood for a presidential election in 2003 under the umbrella of the National Conscience Party.
Gani Fawehinmi became a holder of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) the highest legal title in Nigeria in September, 2001.
More online:
http://www.ganifawehinmi.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gani_Fawehinmi
The demise of Gani, the Senior Advocate of the Nigerian Masses, leaves a huge gap in the fight for probity and civil responsibility in Nigeria. That he will be missed is an understatement!
September 5, 2009 at 9:15 pm
I dont normally shed instant tears when i hear such a sad news as this, for I go into shock mode for a day or two and then maybe the tears will follow. But for my dear father Gani Fawenhimi, the tears will not just stop.
Why I ask am I weeping so profusely>
I weep for a Democracy Giant
I weep for a great freedom fighter of all times.
I weep for the loss of someone Nigeria will always need
I weep for Nigeria that refused to heed all calls for justice.
Papa Gani, you will rest in peace
You will be accepted into the bossom of our Lord.
You did your very best, now you’ve left the rest.
May God provide a replacement for the gap you leave.
To the family of Papa Gani, I send my condolences
Take Heart, for God knows best.
I weep again for NIGERIA, why oh why dont we listen to the voices of reason?
September 6, 2009 at 3:22 am
Its often said that you treasure less what you have until you lose it.Nigeria truly has lost an epitome of justice in the legal system.Can there be another?
April 1, 2012 at 5:31 pm