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Yesterday marked
one year since the death of human rights activist and lawyer, Gani
Fawehinmi, at the age of 71, after a protracted battle with lung cancer.

While alive Gani
was without doubt the conscience of Nigeria – thorn in the flesh of
dictators and dictatorial governments, a voice for the voiceless, and
arguably the country’s most prolific public commentator

Over the course of
three decades Gani was jailed several times for what he believed in:
justice, fairness and equity for all citizens of Nigeria, irrespective
of religion, ethnic group or social class. For Gani law was far more
than a way to ensure a comfortable existence for himself.

His life was spent
demonstrating Wole Soyinka’s assertion that “justice is the first
condition of humanity.” He never shied away from taking governments to
court for irresponsible actions and decisions.

In 1992 he
challenged the Babangida administration in court for devaluing the
naira. He defended Ken Saro Wiwa during his trial by the Abacha
government. In 1999 he sought the judicial nullification of the
Nigerian Constitution on the grounds that it was the product of an
unconstitutional military government.

In 2008, seeking a
declaration that Farida Waziri’s appointment as Chairman of the EFCC
was illegal he took President Umaru Yar’Adua, the Senate, the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Attorney General of the
Federation to court. With Gani, no one was above the law.

The last two
decades of his life were spent trying to bring the killers of
journalist Dele Giwa to justice. Regarding the Dele Giwa assassination,
he testified before the Oputa Panel with the same energy and
determination he demonstrated fourteen years earlier.

Not content with
simply fighting an oppressive system, Gani channelled substantial
portions of his wealth into philanthropy. He was a generous dispenser
of scholarships to indigent students.

It can be said
that Gani was in a class of his own. There was none like him. At his
death one of the most widespread sentiments that floated around was
that Nigerians had been orphaned. Who would speak truth to power in the
matchless Gani style? Who would take presidents to court? Who would
write frank letters to the authorities, protesting their
thoughtlessness? Who would defend the Constitution with as much vigour?
Who would make Nigerians resist the temptation to give in to total
helplessness?

One prevailing
sentiment since the death of Gani has been “What would Gani have done?”
It would not be incorrect to say that Nigerians felt Gani’s absence
during the six-month constitutional crisis that accompanied the
disappearance of late President Yar’Adua. Amidst the clamour of voices
Gani’s would have rang out loud and clear, backed with figures and
statistics and generous quotations from the Constitution.

He was after all
the man who in 2005 compiled a comprehensive record of former President
Olusegun Obasanjo’s many foreign trips, and issued a public statement,
as follows: “Even when Mr. President is in the country, he hops from
one state to another paying social visits. He returns to the country
from his tours at times to start such internal state visits and when
such internal state visits end he jets out of the country. In all, our
president has slept out of Nigeria 512 days in the last 6 (six) years.
The foremost house keeper of the affairs of Nigeria is many times
absent from the house.”

Gani would have
had a lot to say on the profligate decision of President Jonathan to
purchase three new jets in a country hard hit by poverty and failed
infrastructure.

As Nigerians mark the first anniversary of Gani’s demise, we must
not forget that much of what Gani suffered for still remains a mirage.
True justice remains a luxury, and the average citizen struggles to
survive in spite of the government. Commemorating the death of Gani
should serve as a wake-up call to Nigerians across all economic and
religious divides: the battle for the soul of this country continues,
and every sensible citizen should seek to be a Gani in their own sphere
of influence.