By  Abdulwahab  Abdulah
LAGOS — Head of the Gani Fawehinmi Chambers, Lagos, Mr  Mohammed Fawehinmi, said yesterday that there was plan on ground to re-absolve staff of the Chambers after it is finally wound up this weekend.

The late head of the chambers, Chief Gani Fawehinmi had said in his Last Testament and Will that the chambers should be wound up two years after his death. Fawehinmi died on September 4, 2009.

Speaking to Vanguard in a telephone interview, Mohammed, who also is the eldest son of the late legal luminary, said all the lawyers  in the Chambers, including himself would be disengaged from the chambers with effect from January 15, this year, to fulfil the instructions contained in the last Will of the late human rights activist.

According to Mohammed Fawehinmi, the Chambers will cease to be in existence from January 15, 2011. He said: “All the lawyers in this Chambers engaged and being paid will be disengaged. All of them will be left to take their own decision on whether they are going to establish their private chambers or not.

“For instance, I am going to establish my own chambers, Mr Adindu, the deputy head of the chambers and all other lawyers will take their own decisions as it suit them.”

He said the decision would also be applicable to other children of the late Fawehinmi  who are lawyers and his other siblings. However, he did not rule out the possibility of some of them joining hands to establish a chamber.

Insisting that the closure will not affect other staff of the chambers, and the other companies owned by their late father, Mohammed said there were plans to engage them in the new Fawehinmi Library and Gallery located in the Nigerian Law Publication House at CBD, Alausa, Ikeja.

On benefits and disengagement plan for the lawyers, especially in the area of assisting them in getting books for their law Chambers, Mohammed said: “Yes, there is plan towards that. However, about assisting the lawyers to get books to start their Chambers, this will be discussed with the Board of Trustees, which will take decision on this soon.”

He added that there will be transitional movement of the library and other necessary items soon.