GANI WAS BEST EXAMPLE OF FREEDOM FIGHTER –BUHARI

Tuesday 08-09-09

Prominent Nigerians have continued to pay tributes to the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, who died in the early hours of last Saturday. From Kaduna, former head of state and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP’s) presidential flag bearer, General Mohammadu Buhari (retd), and former Kaduna State governor, Senator Mohammed Ahmed Makarfi, have joined the list of mourners.

According to Buhari, “All Nigerians whether agreed with the views or the method of Abdul-Ganiyu Fawehinmi will be saddened by his death. For Gani was the best example of a freedom fighter. He took up not arms but his wig and gown and took up any challenge, espoused any cause if his conscience dictated that it was the right cause. He fought most governments, he defended the government I headed, and outlasted them all. Arrest, detention, prison and other inconveniences never deterred him from fighting for other people’s freedom.

“Gani could have chosen a life of comfortable luxury with fat briefs but he chose the path of freedom. Since 2002 when I joined partisan politics, Gani identified with our struggle to put things right in Nigeria. Over the years, I have found through constant contact with him that he was a humane, reasonable and even balanced personality. His driving force was patriotism for Nigeria; his dislikes are corruption, injustice and bad governance. I came to count him as a friend and valued his counsel greatly.

“He will be greatly missed, not only by his family and friends but by other Nigerians as a fighter for good causes on their behalf. I hope the Federal Government will honour him with a post humorous award. He will be in no position to decline.”
The former governor, Makarfi said Gani was a foremost human rights crusader and genuine champion of the downtrodden.

“Like all mortals, we would all die at some point; the important thing therefore is to what purpose we put this life that God has loaned to us.
“No doubt Gani has lived a life well spent in the service of humanity. He was always there for the common man just as he was always counted on the side of justice and purposeful governance. His philanthropy too knew no bounds as evident by among others, scholarship awards that he instituted, from which indigent Nigerian students benefitted without regard to what part of the country they came from. This was apart from the countless free legal services he offered to the needy who might otherwise have gone unrepresented.

“Gani was an icon who was very honest and loyal to whatever cause he committed himself to, which perhaps was why even those who disagreed with him and his ways have nothing but respect and admiration for him. His death, at this time has created a huge vacuum that would be difficult to fill. We should however, derive solace from the fact though now physically dead, Gani’s legacies live on.
“I pray to God Almighty, to grant his soul eternal rest and his family, as well as all Nigerians, the fortitude to bear this huge loss.”


 

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