Fourteen years ago, just like yesterday. September 5, 2009. Rest on our great dear leader, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, after a selfless life of sacrifice, dedication and donation to the liberation of the masses, the vulnerable, oppressed, voiceless, nameless and unknown. He was truly the Senior Advocate of the Masses (SAM), a well-deserved honour conferred on him by the Great Ife Students Union.
Nigerian students, especially many victimised, rusticated and expelled student activists including myself will never forget Gani Fawehinmi (SAM & SAN) for his free passionate legal services and mentorship as a very principled leader who never got tired of defending us against vicious attacks by school authorities and the draconian state.
Chief hated cheating, corruption, misgovernance, and social crime against the country and the people. He fought any with great sacrifice in court, at the barricade and in the media.
As he made his Gani Fawehinmi Chambers available to student activists, he did so for labour leaders, victimised journalists, artisans, widows, market women and men. His free legal service to the late Ayodele Akele when he was wrongly sacked by Tinubu as the governor of Lagos state was remarkable.
Chief almost sacked one of his lawyers who came late to court for Akele's case. That's the passion Gani put into all his selfless legal services despite not collecting a naira on the cases. When Chief handled a case, free or paid he put his all. I'm very happy to have met and worked politically with him for his uniqueness in principle and dogged determination.
Chief was an example of consistency, tenacity, principle, courage to speak out, passion, sacrifice, attention to detail. Struggle was simply his life despite his excellent legal practice and law publishing business. Gani literally committed class suicide as a dogged fighter for human rights, democracy and good governance.
He was a very comfortable rich man who could have easily walked away from struggle or associating with the poor masses and struggling working class.
Struggle was his life. Gani remained steadfast till death despite many detentions, imprisonment, harassment, threats to his life and burning of his law chambers and he was later framed for burning his own house in order to embarrass Gen. Babangida's draconian regime. A ridiculous allegation which Prof. GG Darah aptly described as "Ganicidal Self Combustion" in a captivating tribute he read at the investiture of Gani as the Senior Advocate of the Masses, Sam by Great Ife Students.
One of Gani's major achievements was his formation with other comrades and change-seeking citizens of the National Conscience (NC) to fight military dictatorship and the radical metamorphosis of NC to the National Conscience Party, NCP. His leadership of the NCP and the tough political and legal battle to get the NCP registered was historical. It opened the democratic space for multiparty democracy for wider participation.
Unfortunately, today, that space has been reduced to make roguish criminal moneybag politicians have a field day in election and power business for profit not for service to the people.
Hence the do-or-die battle for power accumulation for self at all costs and by all means necessary. Nigerians paid painfully and are still suffocating under the misgovernance of recycled crooked moneybag politicians. Freedom is not free. Dare to struggle dare to win. God does not save people from bad governance, people do by being courageous enough to lose their political chains of tribalism, religionism, blind political partisanship, and rogue hero-worshipping. Prayer and fasting can't make a difference when agonizing citizens are not ready to organize for better living conditions.
I had the honour and privilege of becoming the first elected National Publicity Director of NCP and later its Ogun State Chairman in the interim capacity for few years under Gani leadership. It's quite a worthwhile experience of meeting citizens and voters who would tell us boldly but naively that “we know Gani is not corrupt, he won't loot the treasury, he would perform very well as president of Nigeria” but “they won't allow him to get there". Who were the they? Citizens willing or foolishly surrendering their rights to elect their leaders to some "they".
Truly, choices have consequences. You don't vote for public thieves and you expect a safe treasury and good governance. You don't vote for looters you know to loot you and the country further and you start doing ‘kurukere-kurukere’ to prayer centres for succour when hardship is unleashed on you. That's a waste of time. No wise man willingly opens his house door for thieves and then proceeds ‘kurukere kurukere’ to prayer centres to pray that the thieves should not steal his property. That's foolishness.
My participation in NCP in its golden era under Gani's national chairmanship through the DSM made me work closely with very committed human rights /pro-democracy activists, mentors, colleagues and new contacts. Names like Lanre Arogundade, Femi Falana, SAN, Olumide FUSIKA, SAN, Femi Aborisade, Segun Sango (RIP), Ayodele Akele (RIP), Amitolu Shitu, Alhaji Waheed, Selfpikin, Ero, Chinedu, Pelad, Basirat Ogunlana, Olowogboyega, Sina Onifade, Idris, Yeparipa, Sina Odugbemi, Ewebiyi, Bashir Adewale, Oyatoro (RIP), Niyi Adewumin (RIP), Selfpikin, Alhaja Sagamu, Biodun Papalanto, Tunde Agunbiade, Sankara, Joke and a host of others too numerous to mention. It was a practical worthwhile experience I cherish till today.
Where are many of them now? That's the subject of another day. Despite ideological and tactical differences among groups and individuals, Gani Fawehinmi was able to galvanize all into positive popular actions. That's focused leadership in spite of his own limitations too.
Gani deserved his ultimate rest after a purposeful restless life of service to mankind. Seeing Gani resting in peace inside his casket at the lying in state in a hall in Ondo town his birthplace where hundreds of comrades, NCP members, beneficiaries of his legal service, scholarship scheme and financial generosity, his professional colleagues, religious leaders, artisan, market people, workers, ASUU members, students and the masses paid him a farewell to a principled never-say-die leader of great value, I remembered our banter during telephone conversations or anytime we met physically. I yelled: "Chief, Chief, Chief!!! while paying my respect. But alas! Gani couldn't reply to me with" Aluta Father, Aluta Father!!! in his convivial self.
Truly, Death is the Absence of Presence. His memory lives forever. Not how far but how well.
Adeola Soetan