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This week, two prominent citizens of Nigeria, are celebrating their birthdays. They are prominent not just for their names or what they do, but also for their relationship with a man known by all as the conscience of Nigeria, that is Chief Oyesola Ganiyu Fawehinmi, SAN.
Gani died physically some years back but he has been living in the hearts of many Nigerians, he has been speaking to lawyers, judges and law students, through his weekly law reports and his landmark cases, all of which have helped to shape the Nigerian legal system, for good.
Femi Falana, SAN, is an enigma of a sort, courageous and determined, combining legal knowledge with his revolutionary zeal and infectious addiction to the emancipation of the down trodden. He has kept faith with the struggle to liberate Nigeria, even after the demise of his comrades, like Chima Ubani, Esko Tuoyo, Beko Ransome-Kuti, Kanmi Ishola-Oshobu, Gani Fawehinmi, Bamidele Aturu, Alao Aka-Bashorun and many others.
Falana has become an inspiration to many young lawyers and the youths of Nigeria. Many are indeed surprised to note that he just clocked 61 years this week, given the quality and length of time that he has devoted to revolutionary struggles in Nigeria.
Falana is unique in his own way, as a civil society convener, labour activist, human rights advocate and lawyer per excellence. I have no doubt in my mind that Tai Solarin and other departed activists, have no regret quitting the stage when they did.
I got to know Mr Falana, through his activities. I was newly elected Public Relations Officer of Obafemi Awolowo University Students’ Union and I had to go through the history of the union of Great Ife. Through the records, then I got to know that Falana had also been part of the revolutionary struggles of Great Ife.
I would later meet him through my bosom friend, Bamidele Aturu. I was thoroughly mesmerized by his simplicity, the power of his expressions and the courage behind them. He threw his Chambers open to all and sundry, making legal practice so simple and charming. And since then, there has been no looking back, for this hero of our democratic experiments.
Mrs Ganiat Fawehinmi is a silent game changer, who totally surrendered and subordinated her life and ambition for the husband’s passion and struggles.
I ran into her as a young lawyer newly recruited in Gani Fawehinmi Chambers, just seeing her at a distance when she personally brought food and other necessities to Gani in the office, during those times when he worked till very late in the night.
She’s always calm, ever smiling and never throwing her weight or status around in the office. And unless you bother to find out, you’ll hardly know she’s Gani’s wife and mother of his children, including Mo the giant! So I took a liking to her, as I was inspired by her humility and motherly cares.
Once in a while Chief would ask me to see him at home and she’ll be right there, waiting to welcome me and to usher me into the expansive sitting room, offering food and drinks. Most times Chief would be upstairs so while waiting for him to join me, she’ll come near me to express her appreciation for the commitment and sacrifices that many of us members of staff were putting in to support Chief. And she’ll keep praying and just be praying. Time will fail me to narrate her sacrifices on those occasions of Chief’s numerous detentions, especially in Gashua prison, when we had to run the Chambers and Law Reports for a whole year without Chief!
And then Chief would pop in, bouncing and full of life. She’ll wait to attend to him personally and be the one to serve his food. I just kept admiring her from a a distance, wondering how she was able to cope with all the many sides of Chief. Then one day, I had cause to seek her counsel.
I needed to see Chief. I’d just returned from an official trip to Awoye Community in Ilaje Local Government of Ondo State, which had briefed the Chambers on matters of oil spillage and environmental pollution. Chief had sent me on a three-day fact-finding mission, during which I stayed with the community, toured their zones and took notes and photographs, preparatory to the case to be filed in court against the oil producing companies. When I got back to Lagos, I had fire on my head! Chief would not agree to see me. What happened? Nobody could reach him on my behalf, so I had to meet Mrs Fawehinmi, for counsel and to get access to Chief. It was then I truly got to know her.
She narrated to me how she met Chief and how their union started. She was born a Christian but nonetheless accepted Chief’s marriage proposal and took a change of name to Ganiat. She took her time to learn and to speak impeccable Ondo dialect, although she’s from Ogun State. She decided in her mind, right from the beginning, to be devoted to Chief, to support him 100% and to be ready to die for what chief believed in. She was running a successful bookshop but overtime, she had to close it down, to face the job of running the home and training the children. With his kind of life and activities, 24 hours were hardly enough for Chief, so she reasoned that he would need full time support in the home front. Besides, Chief was always either in one prison or custody or the other, on account of his frequent clashes with the government or he was away in some distant community, trying to get justice for the cheated.
I was just there, in the open space in front of Chief’s personal house, soaking in her words of wisdom and counsel. She then told me I that needed a lot of patience and perseverance, to understand and work with Chief. And I should not despair or be discouraged but with time, I will get to enjoy him, once he believes in me and is convinced of my diligence and commitment. And that was exactly what happened.
She then went inside and met with Chief. After a long while, she came back to meet me and told me to go and rest at home. She had sorted it out. It was a communication gap. She then prayed for me, served me food and then told me to go and that Chief himself will call me.
I had lost my own mother early in life, so it was the first time ever since I grew up that someone was touching my life in this way. I just sat down there crying. I couldn’t get up. This woman had just saved my career. She would later get to monitor my progress in Chambers, and piloted me to become one of Chief’s favourites.
Mrs Ganiat Fawehinmi is now 70 years old, whilst Mr Falana is 61. They both bring memories of Gani, through their close relationships with him.
This week, Gani lives in our memories again, on their account, for what they did and are still doing for Nigeria and mankind, to make us all remember Gani.
Happy birthday!
Ebun-olu Adegboruwa, Esq.,
Lekki, Lagos.
21/05/2019
