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| Eulogies for late Gani Fawehinmi fill Nigerian newspaper pages
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Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) -
For one week running, the Nigerian media have continued
to highlight eulogies from Nigerians, especially the poor masses and pro-democra
c
y groups, for the late legal icon Gani Fawehinmi who died in Lagos, Nigeria's co
m
mercial capital city, on 5 September.
Aged 71, Fawehinmi died after a long battle with cancer of the lungs. He was a h
uman rights lawyer, an author and a social critic, who had been thrown into jail
by past Nigerian military governments for more than 30 times.
"Eulogies for Gani Fawehinmi at valedictory session", was the headline of the GU
ARDIAN newspaper on Friday.
It said jUST like he was an uncommon phenomenon while he lived, even in death, t
he legal icon and human rights activist, Chief Ganiyu Fawehinmi (SAN), remains a
colossus as his colleagues at the Bar and Bench Thursday showered encomiums on h
i
m.
The tributes were paid at a valedictory court session organised in Fawehinmi's h
onour and presided over by the new Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Inumidun
E
nitan Akande.
Records show that the late Fawehinmi handled over 5,000 pro bono cases traversin
g all segments of the nation even at the danger to his own life.
Writing under the headlines "Labour, Alaafin, Fashola, Others Eulogise Gani" and
"Dignitaries Storm Benin for Gani", THISDAY newspaper reported how the Nigeria
L
abour Congress (NLC), Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences C
o
mmission (ICPC), traditional ruler Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the Lagos
State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, and several other Nigerians expressed gr
i
ef at the death of Fawehinmi.
In its statement, the NLC described Gani as a veteran for social justice, human
rights and democracy in Nigeria, adding that he would remain unforgettable in th
e
minds of Nigerians, especially the masses to whom he dedicated his life.
The ICPC, traditional rulers and other early callers at the house of the late le
gal stalwart toed the same line as the NLC in their eulogies.
The paper said that attention had shifted to Benin, the capital of South South E
do State in the Niger Delta region, where the State government is putting togeth
e
r an elaborate ceremony in conjunction with Labour and Civil Societies in honour
of the late lawyer this Saturday.
"Judges, lawyers, pupils stand for legal icon", was how the VANGUARD reported th
e eulogies for Fawehinmi, saying that judges, lawyers in their robes, human righ
t
s activists and other eminent personalities, Tuesday, paid their last respects t
o
the late legal icon and social crusader who will be buried on 15 September.
The paper carried a list of persons and organisations who also paid tributes to
Fawehinmi.
They include those from the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) whic
h blamed Ganiā?s death on incessant incarceration; elder statesman Anthony Enaho
ro and Ogbonna Onovo, the newly-appointed Inspector General of Police, clerics w
h
o lamented demise and the Ijaws, in the restive Niger Delta region, who declared
a seven-day mourning period.
"Gani begins final journey home - Blind beggars, eminent Nigerians, pay him last
respect", was the headline of the TRIBUNE on Wednesday.
The paper reported that many Nigerians, including beggars, on Monday visited the
residence of the late legal luminary and human rights activist to pay him their
last respect.
Among the people who visited the family were 21 blind beggars who came to pay th
eir last respect to a man who championed their cause while he was alive.
According to Zakare Hassan, who spoke on behalf of other beggars, they decided t
o come and condole with the family of Fawehinmi, because he was a man that showe
d
them love when he was alive.
The INDEPENDENT newspaper wrote under the headline "Pupils, Lawyers Eulogise Gan
i", that School children and lawyers, all marched for Gani Fawehinmi on Tuesday,
24 hours after blind beggars took their turn to salute the social critic and leg
a
l light who fought for the poor, and was a thorn in the flesh of bad rulers, inc
l
uding former Heads of State who now sing his praises at death.
In his honour, school children sang songs, dirges and eulogies.
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| Lagos - 12/09/2009 |
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