Dr Joe Okei Odumakin, President of Centre for Change, has paid tribute to late human rights lawyer and activist, Gani Fawehinmi.
Gatekeepers News reports that author and social critic died on September 5, 2009, after a prolonged battle with lung cancer. He was aged 71.
In a tribute on Monday, Odumakin described the celebrated lawyer as “a moral giant who remains a giant even lying down to sleep. Eternally.”
Odumakin, in a statement titled “Gani Fawehinmi: 13 Odd Years”, wrote: “It is the 13th year that Gani Fawehinmi rested from a lifelong battle to redeem Nigeria and enthrone justice.
“It must be interesting to reflect on matching Gani’s probable views with a contextual Nigeria of now.
I know it would be academic, but what would he have said? What would he have done?
Would the S.A.M., SAN be Atikulated, Obedient or Batified? Would Gani be none? Would he be a restructurist? Would he have been a trencher still at his 80s? Would his national agenda be in sync with pilgrimage to Minna rocks? To homage one General he fought for Dele Giwa and another he challenged for MKO?
“We would never know, but we are sure he is turning in his grave over the state of this nation.
“The good book says ‘The righteous are taken away before the day of evil’.
“For Gani Fawehinmi, the day of evil was not the day of insecurity. He thrived in the middle of personal insecurity inflicted on him by the military .
“The day of evil for Gani was not this corruption. He saw corruption but he probably would be shocked to see the current standard. He thought it could not be worse.
“The evil day for Chief Gani Fawehinmi must be the day integrity is ill-defined and ill-delivered. Gani must think it is evil day if his integrity ceased to count. Ceased to strive against corruption beyond simplistic political slogans.
“Gani was he who got Senior Advocate of the Masses (SAM) and took the shine off SAN!
Gani was the one who refused to be a minister, take a dime from donors, local or foreign. Gani was incorruptible. Everyone knew.
Gani was fearless. He did not stand in awe of instruments of violence. He was not scared by masters in the craft of killing. He told the truth in the face of stoned-faced soldiers.
“His philanthropy widened in silence, bringing out and uplifting men who strove to be like him. Men who stood in front of tanks. Who sacrificed their breath so others could breathe.
“Gani produced law books and other books. He published the truth from his publishing house. He was printing much more than letters from those restless machines. Gani was writing his long epitaph.
“There is nothing happening in Nigeria today that Gani had not spoken, written or acted on. The fault lines simply widened beyond belief.
“Every 5th September, we will remember Gani as we have done this past thirteen odd years. Not because he was ever forgotten. No. But because a whole day is dedicated to the glorious memory of a moral giant who remains a giant even lying down to sleep. Eternally.”
