A 36-year-old woman, Vernicia Ruguru, who was found guilty of bathing her husband with acid has been sentenced to life imprisonment by an Embu Magistrate Court.
It will be recalled that Ruguru had, on 16 July, poured acid on her husband, Patrick Njue, in Embu North, Kenya, in self-defense. Ruguru had claimed that after her husband attempted to splash the acid on her, she overpowered him and poured it on him.
The claim was however dismissed by the Principal Magistrate, Robinson Oigara, affirming that she would have sustained some injuries if that was the case.
Reports showed that on the day of the incident, the defendant was said to have prepared the children for school, completed her house chores then later walked into their bedroom where her husband was.
Njue reportedly noted that his wife had walked directly to the bed and splashed acid on him. She then locked the door and escaped only for the neighbours to hear screams from the house and came to his rescue.
According to evidence presented in court, on hearing that her husband was still alive, Ruguru rushed to the hospital where Njue was admitted, in an attempt to finish her mission, but was later arrested.
The court which sentenced her to life imprisonment, however granted her 14 days to appeal the judgment. [myad]
The re-election bid of Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State may have suffered a major setback following indications that former President, Goodluck Jonathan and some entrenched interests within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are against his return to the Government House in Lokoja.
The immediate past President and his supporters were said to have accused Wada of being responsible for the party’s defeat by the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the presidential election.
A highly placed source said that the ex-President believes that Wada supported the APC presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari because he is a Muslim, adding that his grouse with Wada also bordered on the latter’s visit to former President, Olusegun Obasanjo in his Abeokuta home in Ogun State, at the height of the presidential campaign.
Wada lost in his ward and local government to the APC during the last presidential election, despite the alleged “huge war chest” made available to him by the presidency to prosecute the March 28 election.
It was gathered that other forces against Wada’s emergence as the PDP governorship flag bearer include the party’s former national chairman, Dr. Ahmadu Ali and former Governor Ibrahim Idris.
The PDP National Working Committee (NWC), on Wednesday postponed the governorship primary in Kogi State from Thursday to Monday, September 14, attributing the shift to logistics issues.
It was gathered that the party is actually shopping for Wada’s replacement, which is the real reason for the last day postponement of the governorship primary. [myad]
Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has described the nationwide anti-corruption protests by the organized labour as a mere ‘shakara’ and jamboree.
According to the governor, no political office holders can steal without the cooperation of the civil servants, even as he asked the labour unions, predominantly civil servants, to purge themselves of corruption.
He spoke today when he received the labour leaders, led by the Chairmen of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Raymond Ade-Adesanmi and Trade Union Congress (TUC), Ayodeji Ladeji, in his office in Ado Ekiti.
Fayose said: “No governor, minister or top political office holders can steal a penny from the treasury without the cooperation of the civil servants. We don’t write papers as politicians, but we only approve whatever the civil servants came up with.
“I consider the anti-corruption war of President Muhammadu Buhari as mere propaganda. If you want to fight corruption, you have to do it by example. President Buhari must start from his party men. He should probe how his campaign was funded because he told Nigerians that he is a poor man.
“Whatever I say about Buhari should not be mistaken for hatred, I don’t hate him. But, he has to desist from fighting corruption with political face. I differed seriously to his anti-corruption war because he has been protecting other former heads of state, except President Goodluck Jonathan, who contested against him.
“What is happening to Halliburton’s scandal and other corruption cases perpetrated before Jonathan’s government? This is what I expected the labour to do. They should ask questions, rather than mere protests.”
Fayose also criticized the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which he accused of displaying signs of corruption.
“The commission has been evading the payment of N10 million it ought to pay me over appeal court judgement when I sued EFCC for harassing my wife. Is this not corruption.
“I stand to be corrected; I am the only governor who calls the labour leaders to Joint Allocation Account Committee and Federation Allocation Account Committee to decide how the state allocation should be spent. This is to tell you that I have nothing to hide and nothing to fear.”
Ade-Adesanmi said the protest was designed to sensitize the public about the danger of corruption to the society.
“All funds identified to have been stolen should be recovered and kept in special accounts to create jobs.
“Corruption has affected all the sectors; education, civil service, banks, markets, transport, power, manufacturing and other private and public institutions. It has lead to the closure of factories and engendered poverty in the system.
“It breeds all kinds of crimes like robbery, vandalism, kidnapping, youth restiveness and insecurity. We promise that the trade unions will continue to support the current leadership in its fight against corruption.” [myad]
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]
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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”.