By Abdulwahab Abdulah

Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi,SAN

The Gani Fawehinmi chambers in Lagos, wound up on January 15, 2011 following an instruction contained in the last Will of the Late human rights activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN. Though the family, staff and clients gathered recently for a ceremony to wind up the chambers, one would no doubt wonder why celebrate the end of a law firm, which had saved many Nigerians, particularly the less privileged, in addition to training big lawyers and judges in Nigeria today. Some lawyers, who passed through the chambers, including Mohammed Fawehinmi, eldest son of late Fawehinmi spoke on the emotional closure and why Gani took the painful decision.

Excerpts:

Why do you think Chief Gani Fawehinmi would want his chambers closed in his death?

In my view, he did it basically on principle. It is well known that he attached so much importance to his name and his principles. This was what happened when he was not given the rank of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN. He had promised not to apply again, but he was prevailed upon by some people, including his driver, Mr. Ajibade, whom he consulted over the issue. He only applied when he was pressured by the likes of Justice Oputa, Justice Onalaja, Justice Moni Fafiade, Justice Oguntade and Chief Mrs. Folake Solanke, SAN. He listened to them so well, before he finally decided to reapply.

You hosted friends and family members to celebrate the closure of the chambers. How would you compare what is happening now to when Gani was alive?

When the music started playing on the day the chambers was closed, my mind when to what Chief would have said if he was alive. He would say, ‘Ha Mohammed, in my chambers. Put off the music. Are you mad, where is Adindu, where is Mojeed, where is Okoroafor, where is Ogundipe?’ Those are the first four names he will call, before he will now call my name. For the fact that music is blaring everywhere does not diffuse our attention from what I thought this place was or what it ought to be. For now, the chambers does not exist anymore. Playing music there has never happened or in any of Gani Fawehinmi chambers in its 46 years of existence. What we did was not out of disrespect, but was significant in a way. Now that the chambers had gone, we can only celebrate and be happy that we gained something from the chambers. For the fact that we rejoiced, I believe, we had all achieved one thing or the other. I had learnt so much in practice that I wouldn’t have learnt anywhere in the world. I studied under three individuals. That is, Mr. Nnaemeka Amechina, Mr. Edwin Anekwem, Mr. Ebun Adegboruwa and the playful Mr. Yinka Muyiwa.

However, what is remarkable now is what happened when three seniors left to form a joint chamber. That is, Mr. Akinyemi, Ogunde and Abudu. They went and inform Chief about their decision to quit. He told them that when they were ready, that they should inform him. However, when they eventually left, when people brought some cases he didn’t want to handle, he sent same to their chambers based on his principles. I remembered a man who brought a case on drugs. The man came with about N7 million, Chief asked him to take the matter away, that he doesn’t do that type of case. I saw the new naira notes he came with, I almost faint. I was not happy when he directed them away. He rejected the money and sent them away. He sent them to some of those who left the chambers. So, for him to have died and directed that we should close the chambers, I believe we had no option than to protect his name. In his view, he would say, I am no more, Mohammed likes money, Adindu will have his own focus etc. So, let me close the chambers. Let me leave the gallery, the Law publication and the Library with them, those one cannot tarnish my name. The chamber’s name is so important to him. This, however, taught us some lessons. That is, whatever you want to do, you have to be focus and be upright. Don’t, allow cheap things to toss you up and down. Probably, if Chief likes money, he would have been killed before the time he died.

Can you point out some cases Chief Fawehinmi accepted or turned down based on principle?

Yes, I remembered Gani Fawehinmi Vs Akilu and others. This case involved the unlawful killing of Dele Giwa, and his rights to prosecute as an individual. He won at the lower court, but the Supreme Court did a somersault of the case. That case would have made every government officials to sit up, by not killing Nigerians anyhow. No individual’s life could have been taken without a just cause. After Dele Giwa’s death, there have been series of unresolved murders in this country, to the extent that our own Attorney-General was murder like chicken, and up till now, we cannot find his killers. Also, the famous Supreme Court Justices case Vs Concord Newspapers. I remember, Chief picked this case as a matter of principle, but he couldn’t conclude the case because the man involved sought to settle with the Justices.

How do you think all the collections, the books, newspapers, essays, speeches and all others in the Fawehinmi Library would be well kept and new ones added like what Chief had done when he was alive?

We will continue to do that. This reminded me of a case of an Army Major, who came here sometimes ago, who said his dad died as a Major in the Army and he never knew him. He was asking for the newspaper that carried the story. He got it here; he never saw his picture in his life. He wept and wept and was consoled by Chief. Chief only told him, as a soldier, he should go back and help reform the Nigerian Army, since his father was killed only on prejudiced. We are going to preserved all the files and records.

What is your regret being a member or working in Gani’s law chambers?

There was a time I ran away and wanted to disown being Gani’s son. He dealt with me for a period of three months, because I argued a case in court, though the ruling was in my favour, only that I didn’t put “end paper.” This means that I should have put it on record or in the computers. When Chief decided to deal with you, he goes all out. There was a day I ran out of here, nobody knew where I went to. He believed in strict discipline, rule and orderliness and was very organised.

What do you intend to do now?

I intend to register and establish my own chambers. Also, this will be applicable to others too. I will also partake in the Law publications by carrying out some policies which my father left behind. As the executive chairman of the Nigerian Law Publication, NLP, I will liaise with the Managing Director and the rest of the Directors, who are my mother, my step mother, and my sisters. I can tell you, we have lots of work to do.