Grandiose Parlor

This is my homage to the youth at the home country for up stepping up to the plate yesterday…’Gongo Aso’ (for real!), courtesy of 9ice.

Abolare Akande a.k.a 9ice. Take a listen:

I caught wind of the Enough-is-Enough youth march in Abuja late. From what I’ve read and seen online so far, the match did happen as planned, the group made their way into the National assembly grounds, but could not get anyone of relevance to address them. Nice and encouraging try, it was.

A video clip

Overall, I appreciate the energy and commitment of planners of the event. They are the ones in the trenches and up against the brutality of the security forces. Putting their bodies at risk and investing their time to make a case for the general well being of Nigerians is a noble task, and I doff my hat!

However, I wish the demands made could have been more potent and better conceived Continue reading…

It is now clear that the violence-igniting problem in JOS is far from solved. Not after more than 500 were killed again over the weekend in what appeared a sequel to an equally bloody incident in January.

The common denominator in the Jos crisis — as in most sectarian crises in Nigeria — is traceable to the deep inequalities in the society. The elements of religion and geography are just mere facilitators in the conflict. Continue reading…

Nigerian Security Forces Lie Unarmed Civilians On The Ground & Shoot Them At Close Range!

A continuation of coverage on the Lagos shanty town of Makoko, the slum on stilts on the Lagos Lagoon:

This amphibious clinic/community center (prototype), erected by Hope Floats Initiative HFI, is an excellent example of bottoms-up approach to sustainable development, and extent of possibilities attainable with the right resources. Continue reading…

The late fire-brand human and civil rights crusader and lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi, could have lived a life of absolute luxury free of the dozens of arrest and detention he suffered, fighting for the common good. But he took and walked the rough path, unflinching and determined.

Read a narrative of his prison experience in Gashua, in northern Nigeria, where he was imprisoned for 121 days in 1989:

Continue reading…

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