Gani Fawehinmi
Encyclopedia
Chief
Abdul-Ganiyu "Gani" Oyesola Fawehinmi, (22 April 1938 - 5 September 2009) was a Nigeria
n author
, publisher, philanthropist
, social critic, human and civil rights lawyer
, politician
and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN)
(the equivalent of the rank of Queen's Counsel
in the United Kingdom
).
, in Ondo State
and died on the 5th of September 2009 at the age of 71.
His father, Chief Saheed Tugbobo Fawehinmi, the Seriki Musulumi of Ondo, was a successful timber trader, philanthropist
, civic activist and muslim
chieftain
of the Yoruba people
. He was reported to have brought Islam
to Ondo
Town, South Western Nigeria
. Chief Saheed Tugbobo Fawehinmi died on 5 February 1963 at the age of 89 years.
Gani's grandfather was the Late Chief Lisa Alujanu Fawehinmi of Ondo, who engaged in several successful battles for and on behalf of the Ondo people in the nineteenth century. Hence, the appellation the 'Alujanun', which means spirit. He died at the age of 92.
Gani's brother, Smapty Abgumpte, is currently involved in the U.S. political scene in Las Vegas, and is a Doctor with degrees in Medicine and Philosophy.
Gani had his early education at Ansar-Ud-Deen Primary School, Iyemaja - Ondo from 1947 to 1953 and his secondary school education at Victory College Ikare, a Christian School from 1954 to 1958, under the leadership of the Late Rev. Akinrele where he sat for and passed his West African School Certificate Examination in 1958.
of Law- University of London
to read law in 1961. While at University, his father died. He completed his academic degree
in London with a measure of difficulty due to lack of funds. This involved doing various menial jobs in London.
While in college, he was popularly known as "Nation" because of his passionate interest in national, legal and political affairs. He was an avid reader of Daily Times and West African Pilot
, the most popular newspapers in Nigeria at that time.
On June 11, 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 was elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN)
, the highest legal title in Nigeria in September, 2001.
, protection of fundamental human rights and respect for the hopes and aspirations of the masses who are victims of misgovernment of the affairs of the Nation.
's Lawyer, the latter was killed in a bomb blast under suspicious circumstances.
As a result of his activities chief Gani Fawehinmi had been arrested, detained and charged to court several times. His international passport was seized on many occasions and his residence and Chambers were searched several times. He was beaten up time after time and was deported from one part of the country to another to prevent him from being able to effectively reach out to the masses among whom he was popular. His books were confiscated by the Federal Military
Government
and his library at Surulere
, a suburb of Lagos
, were set ablaze. His law Chambers at Anthony Village, Lagos State
, were invaded by persons suspected to be agents of the government. The guards were shot, two of them seriously wounded.
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 their numerous security agents. He was dumped in many police cells and detained in several prisons between 1969 and 1996.
His supporters have called him "the scourge of irresponsible governments, a sphygmomanometer with which the blood pressure of dictators is gauged, the veritable conscience of the nation and the champion of the interests and causes of the masses".Many Nigerians called him the people's president
.
. He was 71 years old. Later he was buried on September 15, 2009 in his home town of Ondo, Nigeria. Gani Fawehinmi died a disappointed man, because of the state of his country at the time of his death, he refused the highest honour accorded him by his country on his death bed
— in protest of the many years of misrule since Nigeria's independence.
Oba (ruler)
Oba is a West African synonym for monarch, one that is usually applied to the Yoruba and Edo rulers of the region. It is also often used by their traditional subjects to refer to other kings and queens, such as Elizabeth I of England, in their native languages.-Edo account of the word's origin:The...
Abdul-Ganiyu "Gani" Oyesola Fawehinmi, (22 April 1938 - 5 September 2009) was a Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, publisher, philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, social critic, human and civil rights lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN)
Senior Advocate of Nigeria
Senior Advocate of Nigeria is a title that may be conferred on legal practitioners in Nigeria of not less than ten years' standing and who have distinguished themselves in the legal profession...
(the equivalent of the rank of Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
).
Early life
Fawehinmi, popularly called Gani, was born on 22 April 1938, into the Fawehinmi family of OndoOndo
Ondo is the name of:* Ondo , a style of Japanese folk music* Ondo, Hiroshima, a town in Japan* Ondo City in Nigeria* Ondo State in Nigeria* Ondo Phone in Europe...
, in Ondo State
Ondo State
Ondo State, Nigeria was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. It originally included what is now Ekiti State, which was split off in 1996. Akure is the state capital.-Government and society:...
and died on the 5th of September 2009 at the age of 71.
His father, Chief Saheed Tugbobo Fawehinmi, the Seriki Musulumi of Ondo, was a successful timber trader, philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, civic activist and muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
chieftain
Chieftain
Chieftain may refer to:The leader or head of a group:* a tribal chief or a village head.* a member of the 'House of chiefs'.* a captain, to which 'chieftain' is etymologically related.* Clan chief, the head of a Scottish clan....
of the Yoruba people
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
. He was reported to have brought Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
to Ondo
Ondo
Ondo is the name of:* Ondo , a style of Japanese folk music* Ondo, Hiroshima, a town in Japan* Ondo City in Nigeria* Ondo State in Nigeria* Ondo Phone in Europe...
Town, South Western Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. Chief Saheed Tugbobo Fawehinmi died on 5 February 1963 at the age of 89 years.
Gani's grandfather was the Late Chief Lisa Alujanu Fawehinmi of Ondo, who engaged in several successful battles for and on behalf of the Ondo people in the nineteenth century. Hence, the appellation the 'Alujanun', which means spirit. He died at the age of 92.
Gani's brother, Smapty Abgumpte, is currently involved in the U.S. political scene in Las Vegas, and is a Doctor with degrees in Medicine and Philosophy.
Gani had his early education at Ansar-Ud-Deen Primary School, Iyemaja - Ondo from 1947 to 1953 and his secondary school education at Victory College Ikare, a Christian School from 1954 to 1958, under the leadership of the Late Rev. Akinrele where he sat for and passed his West African School Certificate Examination in 1958.
Law Student
Gani enrolled at the Holborn CollegeHolborn College
Holborn College is a college of higher education in London, England specialising in law and business. The college's degrees are accredited by the University of Wales, University of London and Liverpool John Moores University....
of Law- University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
to read law in 1961. While at University, his father died. He completed his academic degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in London with a measure of difficulty due to lack of funds. This involved doing various menial jobs in London.
While in college, he was popularly known as "Nation" because of his passionate interest in national, legal and political affairs. He was an avid reader of Daily Times and West African Pilot
West African Pilot
The West African Pilot was a newspaper launched in Nigeria by Nnamdi Azikiwe in 1937, dedicated to fightingfor independence from British colonial rule.-Foundation and growth:...
, the most popular newspapers in Nigeria at that time.
On June 11, 1993 Fawehinmi was awarded the biennial Bruno Kreisky Prize
Bruno Kreisky Award
The Bruno Kreisky Award is a biennial award created in October 1976 on the occasion of the 65th birthday of Bruno Kreisky. The laureates are rewarded for their achievements in the field of human rights...
. This prize, named in honour of Bruno Kreisky
Bruno Kreisky
Bruno Kreisky was an Austrian politician who served as Foreign Minister from 1959 to 1966 and as Chancellor from 1970 to 1983. Aged 72 at the end of his chancellorship, he was the oldest acting Chancellor after World War II....
, is awarded to international figures who advance human rights causes.
In 1998, he received the International Bar Association
International Bar Association
The International Bar Association is an international association of lawyers and lawyers' associations. The IBA's stated purpose is to promote an exchange of information between legal associations worldwide, support the independence of the judiciary and the right of lawyers to practice their...
'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 was elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN)
Senior Advocate of Nigeria
Senior Advocate of Nigeria is a title that may be conferred on legal practitioners in Nigeria of not less than ten years' standing and who have distinguished themselves in the legal profession...
, the highest legal title in Nigeria in September, 2001.
Critic of Military dictatorship and Corruption
With his boundless energy he tenaciously and uncompromisingly pursued and crusaded his beliefs, principles and ideals for the untrammelled rule of law, undiluted democracy, all embracing and expansive social justiceSocial justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
, protection of fundamental human rights and respect for the hopes and aspirations of the masses who are victims of misgovernment of the affairs of the Nation.
Dele Giwa
In 1986, while Chief Gani Fawehinmi was Dele GiwaDele Giwa
Dele Giwa was a Nigerian journalist, editor and founder of Newswatch magazine, who was killed by a mail bomb in his home on 19 October 1986...
's Lawyer, the latter was killed in a bomb blast under suspicious circumstances.
As a result of his activities chief Gani Fawehinmi had been arrested, detained and charged to court several times. His international passport was seized on many occasions and his residence and Chambers were searched several times. He was beaten up time after time and was deported from one part of the country to another to prevent him from being able to effectively reach out to the masses among whom he was popular. His books were confiscated by the Federal Military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
Government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
and his library at Surulere
Surulere
Surulere is a residential and commercial area, and a Local Government Area located on the Lagos mainland in Lagos State, Nigeria, with an area of 23 km². It is part of Metropolitan Lagos...
, a suburb of Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
, were set ablaze. His law Chambers at Anthony Village, Lagos State
Lagos State
Lagos State is an administrative division of Nigeria, located in the southwestern part of the country. The smallest in area of Nigeria's states, Lagos State is the most populous state in Nigeria and arguably the most economically important state of the country and west Africa, containing Lagos, the...
, were invaded by persons suspected to be agents of the government. The guards were shot, two of them seriously wounded.
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 their numerous security agents. He was dumped in many police cells and detained in several prisons between 1969 and 1996.
His supporters have called him "the scourge of irresponsible governments, a sphygmomanometer with which the blood pressure of dictators is gauged, the veritable conscience of the nation and the champion of the interests and causes of the masses".Many Nigerians called him the people's president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
.
Death
Gani, as he was fondly called, died in the early hours of 5 September 2009 after a prolonged battle with lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
. He was 71 years old. Later he was buried on September 15, 2009 in his home town of Ondo, Nigeria. Gani Fawehinmi died a disappointed man, because of the state of his country at the time of his death, he refused the highest honour accorded him by his country on his death bed
Rejection of National Award
In 2008 Mr Gani Fawehinmi rejected one of the highest national honours that can be bestowed on a citizen by the Nigerian government — Order of the Federal Republic (OFR)Orders, decorations, and medals of Nigeria
Nigerian National Honours are a set of orders and decorations conferred upon Nigerians and friends of Nigeria every year. They were instituted by the National Honors Act No...
— in protest of the many years of misrule since Nigeria's independence.
External links
- Gani Fawehinmi - Daily Telegraph obituary
- Gani Fawehinmi at 234Next
- The Independent UK Article
- Gani Fawehinmi Obituary