Associates, CSOs remember Gani Fawehinmi nine years after

Citizens and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) gathered at the Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota, Lagos State yesterday to commemorate the death of the Ondo-born legal luminary and human rights activist.

They unanimously decried the poor state of the nation, noting that nine years after Gani’s death, the country has gone from bad to worse.

According to the various speakers, Nigeria is daily hassled by incessant killings with impunity of innocent citizens by herdsmen, high rate of inflation, indiscriminate prosecution by security agencies, lopsided prosecution of treasury looters, endless promises by government without implementation, vote buying by political cabals, religious bigotry, ethnicity, among others.

Fawehinmi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who stood against injustice in his days, died on September 5, 2009 at 71.

Gani, who also delved into politics, was in and out of prison for standing against injustice, especially during the military era, and offered free legal services in many cases to defend the poor and oppressed.

It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, as part of the June 12 celebration this year, conferred a post-humus Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) award on Fawehinmi.

Mohammed Fawehinmi, son of the late human rights activist, urged Nigerians to do all possible to preserve the nation’s democracy and defend the rule of law.

He said his father was a firm believer in democracy as the best form of government, hence his many struggles to strengthen democratic structures.

Lagos State chairman of National Conscience Party (NCP), Comrade Bayo Ogunleye, said corruption remains the strongest impediment to the provision of basic social amenities to the masses.