GANI FAWEHINMI BURIED, SINGING 'DON'T CRY FOR ME NIGERIA'

As the last honest man standing and the only man who has no price tag in Nigeria, finally rendezvouses with mother-earth, Icheoku says on behalf of Ganiyu Oyese Fawehinmi, "don't cry for me, Nigeria!"

Nigeria had all the opportunity in the world to hearken to Gani's message of 'change-we-can-believe-in,' but chose to play possum-deaf? Nigeria maintained a conspiratory silence while Gani was being persecuted, tortured and nearly assassinated by the goons of Nigeria bankrupt-leaderships of Obasanjo, Buhari, Babangida, Abacha and Abubakar?

Like Jesus Christ said, when Gani was thirsty Nigeria did not give him something to drink? When he was hungry for change, Nigeria did not give him the food of change? When Gani was naked with the despondency of Nigeria, he was not clothed with good governance? When Gani was isolated and marked for elimination, Nigeria did not come to his aid or come screaming at lung-full in his defense? When Gani was in prison, Nigeria did not visit him? Nigeria remained aloof while his tormentors had a field day grinding him into 'another-compromised-Nigerian' but he was unyielding and remained steadfast in his conviction that there could be a better and improved Nigeria? Nigeria sold Gani short for a pot of porridge and looked the other way while the decrepitude Nigerian leadership had their respective ways with Gani, trying so desperately but in vain to break his resolve? When Gani was denied SAN-ship despite being the best there is in his legal profession, and having contributed more than anybody living and/or dead to the development of legal jurisprudence in Nigeria, Nigeria pretended it was no big deal? Really, and SAN-ship is the height of legal professionalism in Nigeria? When Gani screamed that the 'cup be taken away' Nigeria did not rush to his rescue? When Gani complained and sang about the asphyxiating and debilitating conditions in Nigeria, Nigeria did not join his chorus?

But belatedly now, Gani is dead and a country obsessed with morbidity, which readily praise-sing the dead than the living, is falling over each others' head to posthumously tell a now "deaf and dumb Gani" how he was the best Nigerian ever had? But does the dead hear such stupid pretended praise-singing? Hell nope! Imagine even Babangida and Obasanjo now queuing up to honor Gani in death which reminds Icheoku of the biblical query, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" How dare these two thieving evil-bastards commiserate with the passing of the great one, Gani; who, were he capable of doing so in death, would have rejected their so called shallow and contrived emotive eulogies?

Icheoku asks Nigerians, when Gani was alive what did they do to let him know that his efforts were appreciated? What did they do to let Gani know that they felt his pain at the despondency and hopelessness that is Nigeria? What did they do to let Gani know that he was not fighting in vain and that he had their support and goodwill? What did they do to convince Gani that he was not a "deranged lunatic" shouting himself hoarse on top of an isolated mountain somewhere in a desolate outback? What did Nigerians do to encourage him to push on and fight on to the light at the end of the tunnel? It is simply too late now, as the dead does not hear and Gani has gone, alone and lonely! It was very unfortunate that in a country of over 150 million people, Gani could not find even ten honest men and women to join his operation 'Fix Nigeria Project?' In his futile battle to make Nigeria a better place, Gani was alone and dejected, and left to be harangued by his enemies - the demented leaderships in Nigeria! Because of this nonchalance by Nigerians, Gani died an unhappy man; his efforts frustrated, without accomplishing his number one priority - his dream project to give Nigerians a good present and a better future?

Therefore on this day of our Lord September 15, 2009 as Chief Ganiyu Oyese Fawehinmi, SAN is buried in the ancient hallowed grounds of his ancestors in Ondo town, Ondo State of Nigeria, Icheoku says, Nigeria keep your sympathies to yourselves as Gani does not need them! Gani says to you, 'don't cry for me Nigeria!' According to his message from the distant land so far away, Gani said, "your silence and inaction were too conspiratory and facilitated my demise and for you to now pretend otherwise is the height of hypocritical treachery!"

What a hypocritical nation Nigeria is, that will one day, possibly very soon, queue up to tell the world how Olusegun Obasanjo was the best Nigerian that ever lived; and/or how Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida did not afterall kill Dele Giwa and that he was rather "Saint IBB?" Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida and Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria's two most despicable human-beings, who severally, violently and viciously suppressed the message of Gani Fawehinmi; repeatedly tortured him in their futile attempt at silencing him and keeping him quiet forever. But now in Gani's death, both men have come forward to confess that Gani was right and they were wrong? That Gani was genuine and that they were fake? That Gani could not be compromised and they were both compromisable? That Gani was sincere and they were dishonest? That Gani was upright and they were crooks? That Gani was loved and they were hated and loathed? That Gani meant well for Nigeria and they were evil geniuses? That Gani loved Nigeria and they hated and still hate Nigeria? Two heartless beasts, who Gani had accused of all manners of brigandage, constitutional violations, corruption and gross incompetence? And the comparisons goes on without end? Icheoku says, if these two Nigerian soldiers of fortune, coup plotters and traducers of the Nigerian society, OBJ and IBB, were brave enough, this is the time for both of them to fall on their swords; and bow out of the scene as rejected men who have confessed to their misery. By acknowledging that Gani was all that they were not and cannot be, these duo have admitted that they were both skunks and the reason Nigeria is on its head today!

Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor very well articulated our jive here when he said that "all those shedding crocodile tears over the demise of Chief Gani Fawehinmi actually preferred a dead Gani to a living one." Continuing, this man of On High posited, "if all these eulogies we read daily, were a true reflection of who Chief Fawehinmi was, why did these people let him go through all the hardships?" His summation, "their eulogies are not sincere?

Another sympathiser said, "Gani really died of frustration and not cancer;" - a condition induced by Nigerias who refused to be moved by their dire condition to join him change their course? According to Solona Olumese, "for the first time in independent Nigeria, a man is in death acknowledged as a true Nigerian, who was not soiled by religious bigotry or ethnicity or crude politics?" Icheoku says, that man's name was Gani Fawehinmi! Continuing, Olumese said, "As a lawyer, he wanted to see just laws; as a politician, he wanted to see social justice. As Nigeria rotted and grew increasingly more corrupt, Gani challenged governments and institutions (including his own professional body, the Nigeria Bar Association), legislation and public policy. As Nigeria continued to slide backwards, his anger and frustration showed, but his energies never flagged. He endured threats, intimidation, arrests, beatings and even attempts on his life, but his will never sagged. There was no cowardice in him, and no regrets;" except that Nigerians remained complacent and would not join his campaign for a better Nigeria, Icheoku adds. Olumese continues, "He refused to surrender, or to be compromised. Even some greedy lawyers who helped fertilise corruption in NIgeria by providing legal backbone to some of the nation’s worst and most profound bandits in power and who made Gani throw up (pewk) while alive, were falling over themselves in praise of a Gani dead?" Icheoku agrees with Olumese Solana that "it is worse to lie to Gani’s memory than to have tried to hurt and humiliate him while he was doing his patriotic duty."

In Abubakar Tsav's own words, "many people mourning Gani Fawehinmi are not sincere and honest. You can see clearly the level of ungodliness in some of those crying for Gani now that he is dead. Why must they wait for him die before they acknowledge and appreciate his worth? Even his constituency, which denied and delayed him the award of SAN are today pouring encomium on him. He floated a political party and stood for presidential election but nobody voted for him; yet they "loved" him? What type of people are we, Nigerians - a world of deceit and false pretense?" According to Tsav, Gani was a great man and Nigeria will not have another like him for a very long time, because unlike Gani Fawehinmi, most Nigerians are greedy, selfish, deceitful, unpatriotic and corrupt.

Icheoku joins these pundits in quering the sanctimonious outpouring of grief by Nigerians, especially those eulogising Gani as the best there was; and yet could not make a way for him or at least listen to his message of change? Like biblical John the Baptist, Gani Fawehinmi was in the desert of Nigeria shouting for change for several decades, but nobody heeded his call?Nigeria, a very pretencious and untruthful people, who like the Shakespearian plebians, will someday, be singing a dirge for "our own dear Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo - the best father of the nation?"

Once again, the good has been interred with his bones in Ondo and Nigeria is worst for it; because they let a golden opportunity slip away? Their inability to adopt a well-intended piece of humanity who would have changed their lot for the better, was very telling and regrettable! Therefore, on this occasion of Chief Gani Fawehinmi's final committal to mother earth, looking up at the flood of eulogies pouring in on his behalf, Icheoku believes that Gani would be singing to Nigerians, "don't cry for me Nigeria!" Icheoku says, so long Gani; may your spirit haunt those sub-human species holding Nigeria hostage! Sleep on fearsome one, and may you reincarnate to finish the work which you started. Rest in peace GOF. Adieu!