Chairman of Obosi Land Management Council, in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Mr. Ezeugo Zion has narrated how cultists, numbering about 30, went to his office and allegedly beat him during which time he sustained some machete cuts on his skull.
The suspected cultists were said to have also injured four other persons who were with Zion at the time of the attack even as they threw Obosi community into pandemonium in their attempt to also frustrate the upcoming Ofala festival of His Royal Highness, Igwe Chidubem Iweka and possibly dethrone him.
Narrating the incident to newsmen on his hospital bed, Zion said: “Just because I am not their member and I was picked as the chairman of Obosi Land Management Council, the cultists numbering about 30, who have continued to terrorize our community, stormed my office to kill me and they succeeded in cutting my head with a machete.”
Zion claimed that the hoodlums where sent by a community leader, adding that two of the cultists were apprehended with the assistant of the local vigilante group led by one Arthur Ilongwu and the Special Anti-Cult Squad.
“God was so kind, they could not kill me because my land committee members prevented those that were butchering me and four of them were equally injured in the process. I managed to call the police.” [myad]
Ghanaian authorities have suspended 22 junior judges accused of bribery after they were captured on video.
The judicial secretary said in a statement said that the Judicial Council was probing the conduct of other 12 high court judges and several other court officials, who had been mentioned in the video.
“The council fully reckons that the perception or actuality of corruption in the judiciary undermines confidence in the institution and cannot be tolerated to continue in any shape or form, hence the need to act with utmost dispatch.”
The statement said that the suspension would pave way for further investigation. The video, which was recorded by undercover agents and released by an investigative journalist, prompted calls for the sack of the affected persons. [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari has sacked the Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service. He has also approved the sacking of the Chairmen, Secondary Education and Universal Basic Education Boards with immediate effect.
This was contained in a letter with reference no. SGF.19/S.81/T1/97 sent to the FCT Permanent Secretary, John Chukwu, yesterday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
A statement by the FCT Deputy Director, Press, Mohammed Sule today in Abuja quoted the letter as directing the affected chairmen to comply with the Federal Government directive on the dissolution of the governing boards of parastatals, agencies, institutions and government-owned companies.
The letter said: “The Federal Government’s directive as contained in Circular Ref. No. SGF.19/S.81/XIX/964 on the dissolution of the Governing Boards of the Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions and Government-owned companies remains extant.”
It said that the directive applied to all the boards of the Federal Capital Territory parastatals, agencies, institutions and government-owned companies.
“In view of this directive, the FCT Permanent Secretary has directed the former Chairman of the FCT IRS to hand over all duties and responsibilities of his office as well as government belongings in his possession to the Director of Treasury, FCT, while the Chairmen of the Secondary Education Board and Universal Basic Education Board should hand over all duties and responsibilities of their offices as well as government belongings in their possession to the Directors/Secretaries of SEB and UBEB respectively,” the statement said.
The FCT Administration expressed its appreciation to the officials for their contributions to the development of the Federal Capital Territory and wished them success in their future endevours. [myad]
Former governor of Sokoto State and senator representing Sokoto North, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko has said that Nigeria economy would have now collapsed thanks to the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he said has, within 100 days, saved the ship of the nation from sinking.
Wamakko stressed that Buhari has proven to Nigerians that the country can have a reduction in criminal activities with the right leadership in place.
The former governor, who spoke on the 8th National Assembly, said that the National Assembly is ready to support Buhari’s change agenda, even as he said that Nigerians have gotten the confidence to trust their leaders.
“The country has been totally revamped from total collapse by Buhari in the last 100 days. The country has also witnessed unprecedented economic growth, with highly boosted economic indices.
“Happily, power supply now stood at about 5,000 megawatts, hence, Nigerians are now getting steady and near-adequate power supply.
“Nigerians now have renewed confidence in the government, with the same going for the international community, leading to an influx of more foreign direct investments into the country.
“NASS members will continue to put Nigeria first and will always work for the common good of all Nigerians, irrespective of any religious, political or ethnic differences.’’ [myad]
The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has said that over 1.2 Million companies are registered to do businesses in Nigeria, even as it threatened to delist 50,000 of them that have failed to file their annual returns.
The Registrar General of the CAC, Mr. Bello Mahmud, who said these at an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said that the defaulters would be de-listed after due notification through different channels of communication as prescribed by law.
According to him, 9,347 companies had so far been delisted by the commission since inception for failing to file their annual returns.
According to him, 623,659 out of a total of over 1.2 million registered companies in the country had not filed their annual returns.
Mahmud said that the 623,659 companies, which represent 49 per cent of the total number, were those that “have not filed a single return since their registration’’.
He said that others were those in partial default of between two and four years, but he did not specify the number in this category.
Mahmud noted that the commission did not delight in deregistering companies because some of the defaults were due to economic reason.
The Registrar General said that was why the commission ensured that laid down procedure was followed to allow for remedy by defaulting companies before they were deregistered.
He, however, could not immediately specify the total revenue lost by government as a result of the defaults.
He said the commission had come up with a number of measures to ensure compliance, including enlightenment campaigns and engagement of revenue agents to advise erring companies.
“For the partial defaulters, we have decided to sweep their files under the carpet and deny them service until they update their annual returns records.
“Whenever they come to do any business with the commission like change of directors or increase in share capital, we won’t attend to them.
“This is one of the most appropriate steps we have now taken as punishment for those who haven’t filed. “We are also going on enlightenment campaigns in electronic and print media as well as appointing revenue agents to go round and advise these companies to comply.
“We are going to make a publication and give the defaulters the last chance to file their returns, and if they fail to respond we will delist them.
“Delisting here doesn’t mean they are going forever. Some of them can go to court to say they are still in existence. “If the court agrees with them, then they are required to update their records with the commission and pay the penalty fees before returning to business.’’
Section 370 to Section 378 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 1990 provides for the filing of annual returns by companies and prescribe penalties for default.
The law requires every registered company to file its first annual return 18 months after registration, and not later than 42 days after holding its annual general meeting for the year.
CAC currently charges between N1,000 and N5,000 as filing fees for annual returns, depending on the size of the company, while default attracts a penalty fee of N100 per day. [myad]
I intend to examine the personality of the one who sojourned in our world for 71 years after he came visiting on 22nd day of April, 1938 and was translated to the great beyond on the 5th of September, 2009.
As I give tribute once again to this legend I implore us all to draw lessons from the life and times of this great giant of humanity who in his time, exemplified with true candor, the finer virtues of integrity, courage and compassion.
It is my intention to examine the man who, in his time amongst us, was a light unto our nation- a light that burned fiercely and was a terror to the denizens of darkness who sought to keep us in perpetual bondage, in a web of deceit, oppression and grand larceny. It is my intention to also answer the question “What Would Gani Do?” viz-a-viz our current political realities in Nigeria of today.
The man, Chief Gani Oyesola Fawehinmi, “Alujanun Iberu” Senior Advocate of the Masses (SAM), Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) – teacher, advocate, crusader, activist, social critic, emancipator, one-time presidential aspirant and Hero Extraordinaire will forever remain an exemplar of what it means to truly be “A Man of The People”, and an Avatar of the ideals of equal rights, justice and liberty.
As we all know, the above mentioned virtues are the enduring foundations of any truly egalitarian society; this was first posited in 1790 by Maximilien Robespierre, a torchbearer of the French Revolution, who devised the democratic ideal for the French republic and suggested as motto, the ideals, “Libertaire, Egalitaire and Fraternitaire” meaning liberty, equality, and fraternity. Like Robespierre, our man, our Guide and our Light, the Gani Fawehinmi esteemed these three values as even dearer than life itself during his earthly sojourn, and he did prove this several times, in his confrontation with the forces of oppression across our land.
Indeed, for Gani, the maxim “The Law must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes; all citizens being equal in its eyes” was holy writ, and his conduct amongst us showed that he believed this with every fibre of his being, and lived it out every day that he drew breath here.
We all agree that the man Gani was an epitome of integrity whose conduct was in total harmony with the words that he spoke-he walked his talk always. He was a stickler for justice who continually championed the cause of justice for Nigerians everywhere, in a bid to prove to the oppressor and the oppressed that everyone can, through relentless determination, pursue and obtain justice regardless of the odds arrayed against us. It is also no exaggeration to say that Chief Gani lived and lived for the common man.
It is often said that only those who have walked in your shoes can have the ability to feel the pain and truly empathize with you. Gani’s path to legal luminescence was paved with much hardship due to lack of financial ability. Regardless of this, he endured and completed his studies in London. Perhaps this informed his love for the under-privileged and his obsessive philanthropy which saw many Nigerians depending on him- for subsistence and for advancement through education.
Such was his influence and his contributions to the struggle for a truly free humanity that in 1993, he was awarded the prestigious Bruno Kreisky Prize, instituted for international figures who have worked arduously to advance human rights causes. The International Bar Association also awarded him the Bernard Simmons Award in recognition of his human rights and pro-democracy contributions in 1998. Indeed it is safe to say that without the contributions of the late Gani Fawehinmi and a few others like him, the democracy we have in Nigeria would have remained a mirage, a fantasy, a dream, a fleeting illusion- to be pursued and never attained.
His stance earned him many travails reminiscent of the travails of the Apostle Paul which led him (Paul) to write: “But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in sleeplessness, and in fastings…”. Like the Apostle Paul, Chief Gani was a a servant of Providence and in addition he was also a unique kind of builder- one who sought to build a new society- a new Nigeria founded on the tenets of human rights, justice and equity for all and sundry.
Like that great Examplar of service to humanity, Jesus of Nazareth, the man Gani Fawehinmi in his time, exemplified the twin virtues of Compassion and Courage- virtues which he, Jesus, taught that without which none could lay claim to serving God or humanity. Like the Saviour who rid his Father’s temple of those rogues who sought to turn the house of God into a bureau-de-change, the man Gani fought valiantly without fear to rid Government in Nigeria of looters who masqueraded as leaders, and parasites who disguised as presidents. Like the Christ who embodied compassion, Chief Gani loved Nigeria and Nigerians with all of his heart, often braving detention at the hands of various juntas who sought unsuccessfully, to shut him up.
We are glad that the seeds of struggle for emancipation sown by this great man has paid off. We can look back to where we used to be as a nation- under the jackboots of various military leaders, a pariah amongst the comity of nations, and feel thankful for the sacrifice offered by our avatar. We know we have come a long way from the days of arbitrary rules, decrees, terror, detentions and state-sponsored killings.
We have come a long way from the days of martial music and early morning announcements of “My fellow Nigerians…”. For this, we are grateful to the Almighty, and to those whom he used to lead us out of the dark into the ever-growing light, like He once did when he used Moses to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt towards the Promised Land Canaan. We are grateful to our own very Moses, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, who like that Moses of yore, may have been privately informed by the Divine, that though he had, through the eyes of foresight, perceived the Nigeria of his dreams, he would not enter the land.
As a nation, we know where we are headed, we know where we are. It is however pertinent that we pause, and take stock of the things achieved, and the distance we have to go. I have taken the liberty to attempt to answer this, by asking us all this question:
“What Would Gani Do?”
What would Gani do- in the face of the sometimes comic absurdities foisted upon us by the ones we have elected to legislate and to execute laws on our behalf?
What would Gani do- in the face of a lop-sided war against corruption that appears to target only those so designated.
What would Gani do- in the face of an seeming unfolding agenda by a section of the nation to treat other regions as occupied territory and spoils of war?
What would Gani do- as politics of Ghana-Must-Go continues to trump politics of ideology, thereby relegating to the political background, capable hands who cannot compete with political heavyweights who are armed with filthy lucre pilfered from the state purse?
What would Gani do- as it appears to be increasingly clear that the liberty he fought for as he strove to liberate our land from the clutches of khaki bandits has been hijacked by equally rapacious bandits clad in suits, agbadas and babarigas?
On this auspicious day that celebrates the life and times of our Legend, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, I make bold to say that the Gani Fawehinmi I know would not merely fold his arms and wail in helplessness. He would not also keep mute in the unfounded hope of some measly appointment or patronage or wait for mobilization fund from international donors and communities as some of our modern day, self styled human rights activists are doing.
I am of the conviction that that fierce crusader, activist and liberator would do only what he knows best to do: renew the fight for the liberty of the land that he loves with the only instrument that he knew how to wield: the Law.
I believe that that unrelenting spirit would not give up or compromise halfway to Zion, as some appear to have done as they have traded the struggle for a quest for a piece of the national cake.
I am persuaded that Chief Gani would want us shout that rallying cry “Aluta Continua, Victoria Ascerta” as we go back to the trenches, armed not with guns or machetes, but with the Constitution and Laws as his ever potent weapons.
On this day, as we honour the man who shone as a light while he walked amidst us, I hereby implore us to reach for that same light that he lifted up so bravely, and continue the good fight- the fight for justice and equity across the land, and fear no darkness.
It was that American statesman, John F. Kennedy, who opined: “A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on eternally”. Our hero may have transited to fairer lands but there is no doubt that his ideals, which hold the potential to establish Nigeria as the lands of our dreams, live on.
The onus lies on us who remain, to stretch forth our hands to the plough and carry on the good work of building a just and true Nigeria.
May we find the strength of mind and character of spirit to fulfill the words of our national anthem: “The labours of our heroes past shall never be in vain”.
Barrister Ajulo is National Secretary, Labour Party. [myad]
Former Nigerian Aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode has come up with what he called “the literal translation of Nigeria into Latin” saying: “it means ‘the area of darkness’ and that there is a deep spiritual and mystical reason why the wife of Lord Lugard she gave us that name.
In his Facebook post titled, titled: ‘Lord Lugard’s Magic and Flora Shaw’s Spell,’ Fani-Kayode, who also served as the Minister of Tourism under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, said the manner with which Nigeria was created in 1914 was the reason the country is still struggling.
According to him both Lord Fredrick Lugard, who was the first Governor-General of Nigeria and his wife, Flora Shaw (later Flora Lugard), who gave Nigeria its name, were worshippers of Satan.
“It is generally agreed though not commonly admitted that both Lugard and Flora Shaw were Luciferians who practiced the black arts and all manner of satanic rituals. He (Lugard) was a ‘High Priest of the Freemasons’ whilst they were both avid followers of Aleister Crowley, the leading satanist of his day and the self-styled ‘world’s most wicked man.’
“This explains a lot. It also explains why Shaw gave us the name Nigeria – a name which has questionable roots. Anyone that doubts this should consider the literal translation of Nigeria into Latin: it means “the area of darkness” and there is a deep spiritual and mystical reason why she gave us that name.
“It comes with a lot of baggage because not much good can come out of an area of darkness.”
Fani-Kayode, who was the spokesperson for former President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign organisation, said most of the African countries that were colonized by Britain had since changed their names, adding that only Sudan and Nigeria refused to change their names and that is why they are still struggling.
“Most of the former British colonies changed their names after independence for similar reasons but because most of our leaders in Nigeria were not aware of these matters, they refused to do so.
“Lugard and Shaw were an unlikely couple who had no children. What held them together was more spiritual and mystical than anything else and Nigeria and Sudan are their joint legacy to the world.
“Sadly, both countries are having major challenges today. Sudan has broken into two after a protracted and bitter civil war while Nigeria is experiencing serious regional, ethnic and religious tensions. It is clear that our nation needs a good deal of prayers. May God deliver us from Lord Lugard’s magic and his beautiful wife’s spell.”
Fani-Kayode said Nigeria was created such that the North could rule forever while the resources of the South would continually be exploited.
The former minister said it was a miracle that Nigeria had only witnessed one civil war since it gained independence in 1960.
He argued that the only thing that had kept Nigeria united was the oil in the Niger Delta as well as the strength, patience and collective will of the people.
“This was his (Lugard’s) vision: a northern Nigeria that was essentially the ‘head of the household’ and that would remain in control of all the powers and resources of the state and a southern Nigeria that would play the role of a passive and subservient wife whose destiny it was to remain in perpetual subjugation and bondage.
“The truth is that the British colonialists were masters of divide and rule. The amalgamation of the southern and northern protectorates was a Greek gift which was designed to fail and to crumble at the appropriate time. Nigerians have done well to have held it together for so long and the fact that we have only experienced one civil war is miraculous.” [myad]
All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made it clear that Nigeria suffered institutional paralysis under the immediate past President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, which President Muhammadu Buhari has been trying to correct.
“Institutional paralysis had occurred in the country. It is very important for a steady man like the President to really help the nation recover from the paralysis and that is what he is doing.
“He has helped to stimulate the economy in the various states and that is where the people are. So what is dictatorship?”
Tinubu spoke to newsmen today shortly after holding a two-hour closed-door meeting with President Buhari at the Aso Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Tinubu who denied that he was in the Villa with his own list of persons he wanted as ministers, defended the President against allegations of dictatorship leveled by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying: “I disagree with that. He was elected on a platform of democracy. He has adhered to rule of law so far. What is dictatorship about what he has done?
“If they don’t have anything to say, they should rather be quiet. They created what is wrong here today and we can’t sweep that under the carpet. There must be rule of law.”
Tinubu, who was accompanied by former national chairman of the APC, Bisi Akande, said that he preferred that President Buhar delays in naming ministers and get it right than laying a bad foundation that would not last in the nation’s interest.
“There is pitfall in rushing, quick fix, depending upon the depth of the rot. And that rush can cascade into mistakes of unimaginable magnitude. There is equally glory and recovery in slowness, when you have a slow fix of a bad foundation.
“So, to me, I would rather take the one that will last the country and endeavour for a longer period of time than the rush-hour shopping.”
He described the belief in many quarters that there has been power tussle between him and Akande on one hand and him and Atiku Abubakar as a ure rumour, adding: “don’t listen to rumours, there is no struggle. Our party is not even looking at the direction of power struggle or anything of such.
“The structure is to encourage and support the President, to help him institutionalize his goal, principle and vision for a new Nigeria.”
Also speaking, Akande said he had come to the Villa to encourage Buhari to clear the rot left behind by the PDP, adding: “since Obasanjo’s first term, and I understand that President Buhari inherited piles of rot in the Villa, and I said, let me see him, talk to him and report to my party with a view to knowing how to encourage him to change the rot to good.” [myad]
“If I select people whom I know quite well in my political party, whom we came all the way right from the APP, CPC and APC, and have remained together in good or bad situation; the people I have confidence in and I can trust them with any post, will that amount to anything wrong?
President Muhammadu Buhari made these points yesterday while answering questions on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hausa programme monitored in Abuja, Nigeria federal capital territory.
Describing the criticism that trailed his recent appointments of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and heads of para-military establishment, President Buhari said: “this is the nature of Nigerian politics.”
He argued that the Constitution allows him full control over the choice of his closest officials, and made it clear that the appointments also served as reward for those who remained loyal to him for years, who refused to be lured by power or material wealth. “If they will do justice to me, as an elected Nigerian president, let them look at the Constitution on who a Nigerian President should works with. There are people who will closely work with me that don’t need to be taken to the Senate. I have been with them throughout our trying times, what then is the reward of such dedication and suffering?
“They did not defect because of positions; they did not involve themselves in the pursuit of personal gains, and they accepted their fate throughout our trying moments. What is wrong if I make you the secretary (of the federal government) because I have confidence that things will go normal?”
The president also spoke on Chibok girls, saying that the girls, who were abducted in April 2014 by Boko Haram, had been dispersed and were kept in units at different locations. He said many of the girls had been forced to convert to Islam.
“They have scattered them, and are being guarded at dispersed locations. Most of the girls are Christians and were forced to embrace Islam. And the sect’s cruel leaders have married some of the girls, obviously against their wish. Others have been left to practice their religion but their condition could hardly be ascertained. “Both ground and air security personnel in the Sambisa forest could spot where the girls are, but since the insurgents have also kidnapped housewives and other women, no one could say whether they mixed them or how they dispersed them.” [myad]
Ekiti State House of Assembly has unanimously approved a total of N19.6 billion loan facilities for the state government. A breakdown of the loans showed that the state would access N10 billion from Access Bank on 10 years and 9 per cent repayment arrangement and another N9,604,430,000 from Skye Bank on 20 years and 9 per cent repayment arrangement.
The approval followed two different letters written by Governor Ayo Fayose requesting the house consent to access the loans. The letters are: “Consideration of the proposal of the State Government to Partake in the Excess Crude Account and Consideration of the Intention of Ekiti State Government to Partake in the Federal Government Bailout Package to pay Backlog of Workers’ Salaries.”
The Leader of the house, Mr. Akinyele Olatunji, had appealed to members to give the request accelerated considerations, describing the government intention as a good development aimed at bettering the lives of Ekiti citizenry.
“Access to the N10 billion Excess Crude Account (ECA) and over N9.6 billion Federal Government bailout loan, respectively is a good development for the state.
“The loans will enable the present administration provide basic infrastructure and social amenities for its citizens.
“If the government is able to access these loans the government will be able to execute developmental projects.
“Apart from the loan being used to pay the backlog of workers’ salaries, it will also enable the government provide some basic social amenities in the state,’’ Olatunji said.
Messrs Gboyega Aribisogan (Ikole I), Deputy Speaker, Segun Adewumi (Ekiti West I), and Dele Fajemileyin (Gbonyin) supported the house leader, describing the decision by the state government to access the loans as the best way out of the current financial situation.
“If these loans are obtained, it will take care of government campaign promises to the people.”
Earlier, the Speaker, Kola Oluwawole, had read the two executive letters from the governor requesting the house permission through resolutions. [myad]
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Remembering Gani Fawehinmi Six Years After, By Olukayode Ajulo
I intend to examine the personality of the one who sojourned in our world for 71 years after he came visiting on 22nd day of April, 1938 and was translated to the great beyond on the 5th of September, 2009.
As I give tribute once again to this legend I implore us all to draw lessons from the life and times of this great giant of humanity who in his time, exemplified with true candor, the finer virtues of integrity, courage and compassion.
It is my intention to examine the man who, in his time amongst us, was a light unto our nation- a light that burned fiercely and was a terror to the denizens of darkness who sought to keep us in perpetual bondage, in a web of deceit, oppression and grand larceny. It is my intention to also answer the question “What Would Gani Do?” viz-a-viz our current political realities in Nigeria of today.
The man, Chief Gani Oyesola Fawehinmi, “Alujanun Iberu” Senior Advocate of the Masses (SAM), Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) – teacher, advocate, crusader, activist, social critic, emancipator, one-time presidential aspirant and Hero Extraordinaire will forever remain an exemplar of what it means to truly be “A Man of The People”, and an Avatar of the ideals of equal rights, justice and liberty.
As we all know, the above mentioned virtues are the enduring foundations of any truly egalitarian society; this was first posited in 1790 by Maximilien Robespierre, a torchbearer of the French Revolution, who devised the democratic ideal for the French republic and suggested as motto, the ideals, “Libertaire, Egalitaire and Fraternitaire” meaning liberty, equality, and fraternity. Like Robespierre, our man, our Guide and our Light, the Gani Fawehinmi esteemed these three values as even dearer than life itself during his earthly sojourn, and he did prove this several times, in his confrontation with the forces of oppression across our land.
Indeed, for Gani, the maxim “The Law must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes; all citizens being equal in its eyes” was holy writ, and his conduct amongst us showed that he believed this with every fibre of his being, and lived it out every day that he drew breath here.
We all agree that the man Gani was an epitome of integrity whose conduct was in total harmony with the words that he spoke-he walked his talk always. He was a stickler for justice who continually championed the cause of justice for Nigerians everywhere, in a bid to prove to the oppressor and the oppressed that everyone can, through relentless determination, pursue and obtain justice regardless of the odds arrayed against us. It is also no exaggeration to say that Chief Gani lived and lived for the common man.
It is often said that only those who have walked in your shoes can have the ability to feel the pain and truly empathize with you. Gani’s path to legal luminescence was paved with much hardship due to lack of financial ability. Regardless of this, he endured and completed his studies in London. Perhaps this informed his love for the under-privileged and his obsessive philanthropy which saw many Nigerians depending on him- for subsistence and for advancement through education.
Such was his influence and his contributions to the struggle for a truly free humanity that in 1993, he was awarded the prestigious Bruno Kreisky Prize, instituted for international figures who have worked arduously to advance human rights causes. The International Bar Association also awarded him the Bernard Simmons Award in recognition of his human rights and pro-democracy contributions in 1998. Indeed it is safe to say that without the contributions of the late Gani Fawehinmi and a few others like him, the democracy we have in Nigeria would have remained a mirage, a fantasy, a dream, a fleeting illusion- to be pursued and never attained.
His stance earned him many travails reminiscent of the travails of the Apostle Paul which led him (Paul) to write: “But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in sleeplessness, and in fastings…”. Like the Apostle Paul, Chief Gani was a a servant of Providence and in addition he was also a unique kind of builder- one who sought to build a new society- a new Nigeria founded on the tenets of human rights, justice and equity for all and sundry.
Like that great Examplar of service to humanity, Jesus of Nazareth, the man Gani Fawehinmi in his time, exemplified the twin virtues of Compassion and Courage- virtues which he, Jesus, taught that without which none could lay claim to serving God or humanity. Like the Saviour who rid his Father’s temple of those rogues who sought to turn the house of God into a bureau-de-change, the man Gani fought valiantly without fear to rid Government in Nigeria of looters who masqueraded as leaders, and parasites who disguised as presidents. Like the Christ who embodied compassion, Chief Gani loved Nigeria and Nigerians with all of his heart, often braving detention at the hands of various juntas who sought unsuccessfully, to shut him up.
We are glad that the seeds of struggle for emancipation sown by this great man has paid off. We can look back to where we used to be as a nation- under the jackboots of various military leaders, a pariah amongst the comity of nations, and feel thankful for the sacrifice offered by our avatar. We know we have come a long way from the days of arbitrary rules, decrees, terror, detentions and state-sponsored killings.
We have come a long way from the days of martial music and early morning announcements of “My fellow Nigerians…”. For this, we are grateful to the Almighty, and to those whom he used to lead us out of the dark into the ever-growing light, like He once did when he used Moses to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt towards the Promised Land Canaan. We are grateful to our own very Moses, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, who like that Moses of yore, may have been privately informed by the Divine, that though he had, through the eyes of foresight, perceived the Nigeria of his dreams, he would not enter the land.
As a nation, we know where we are headed, we know where we are. It is however pertinent that we pause, and take stock of the things achieved, and the distance we have to go. I have taken the liberty to attempt to answer this, by asking us all this question:
“What Would Gani Do?”
What would Gani do- in the face of the sometimes comic absurdities foisted upon us by the ones we have elected to legislate and to execute laws on our behalf?
What would Gani do- in the face of a lop-sided war against corruption that appears to target only those so designated.
What would Gani do- in the face of an seeming unfolding agenda by a section of the nation to treat other regions as occupied territory and spoils of war?
What would Gani do- as politics of Ghana-Must-Go continues to trump politics of ideology, thereby relegating to the political background, capable hands who cannot compete with political heavyweights who are armed with filthy lucre pilfered from the state purse?
What would Gani do- as it appears to be increasingly clear that the liberty he fought for as he strove to liberate our land from the clutches of khaki bandits has been hijacked by equally rapacious bandits clad in suits, agbadas and babarigas?
On this auspicious day that celebrates the life and times of our Legend, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, I make bold to say that the Gani Fawehinmi I know would not merely fold his arms and wail in helplessness. He would not also keep mute in the unfounded hope of some measly appointment or patronage or wait for mobilization fund from international donors and communities as some of our modern day, self styled human rights activists are doing.
I am of the conviction that that fierce crusader, activist and liberator would do only what he knows best to do: renew the fight for the liberty of the land that he loves with the only instrument that he knew how to wield: the Law.
I believe that that unrelenting spirit would not give up or compromise halfway to Zion, as some appear to have done as they have traded the struggle for a quest for a piece of the national cake.
I am persuaded that Chief Gani would want us shout that rallying cry “Aluta Continua, Victoria Ascerta” as we go back to the trenches, armed not with guns or machetes, but with the Constitution and Laws as his ever potent weapons.
On this day, as we honour the man who shone as a light while he walked amidst us, I hereby implore us to reach for that same light that he lifted up so bravely, and continue the good fight- the fight for justice and equity across the land, and fear no darkness.
It was that American statesman, John F. Kennedy, who opined: “A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on eternally”. Our hero may have transited to fairer lands but there is no doubt that his ideals, which hold the potential to establish Nigeria as the lands of our dreams, live on.
The onus lies on us who remain, to stretch forth our hands to the plough and carry on the good work of building a just and true Nigeria.
May we find the strength of mind and character of spirit to fulfill the words of our national anthem: “The labours of our heroes past shall never be in vain”.