Where Is My god?

Written by: Che Oyinatumba.

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? That is to say my God, my God why hast thou forsaken me?”-The Gospel of Matthew 27 Vs 46.

For those who share my Christian idiosyncrasy, the above should be read with a pinch of Roman Catholic flavour. Patron Saints are allowed and not being satisfied with Oyinbo Saints, I have started beatification of Nigerians, to swell up our quota in the chain of Saints. Who knows when we pray in the name of Nigerian Saints, who understand our peculiar plight, the right hand of God will be moved to revive Nigeria and rouse the sleeping giant in us all. For those who may want to accuse me of being an idolater, they should not be more Catholic than the Pope, Mother Theresa was made a saint while alive.

But the Nigerian I want to honour today is galaxy years ahead of sainthood. Chief Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi (forget the SAN), is a god, whose invoke is a condition precedent to the analysis and solution to Nigerians injustice.

For some time now, my prayers have been rudderless as I do not know where my god is. I have consulted modern Ifa (Newspapers), wondered in search of direction, regurgitating old works of this colossus, praying for a direction out of this eclipse of Nigeria. It is obvious that the House Committee on Power to Stael (Steel) members are not well grounded on the facts of inquest they are prosecuting  and no social commentator has analysed it pragmatically as Chief (Gani) would have done.

How do you describe the sun to your inquisitive son but merely to ask him to look up? Same applies to any attempt to introduce Chief. Chief has been committed to the struggle for justice to all, especially the common man since he was an infant but came to national attention in February 1969, when as a young lawyer, he took the brief of a factory hand (Abashia) who alleged  that the then Secretary to Benue/Plateau government Andrew Obeya, had an affair with his wife. Joseph Gomwalk walked into the matter and used state apparatus to cow Chief and when this failed, a kidnap was attempted but it was also futile and the military detained him without trial thus beginning the long journey of detentions of Chief often without trial. (Imprisoned 29 times, living in 15 prisons and numerous police cells across the country.)

No lawyer has expanded the frontier of the constitution more than Chief. He has won landmark cases and pronouncements, which have enlarged the enjoyment of fundamental human rights by Nigerians present and yet unborn. No lawyer is a lawyer without reading Gani’s Nigeria Weekly Law Report (NWLR). Even the Judge that jailed Gani in 1990, Justice Ligali Ayorinde, agreed that “Gani’s chambers…have been terrorising the judiciary”-African Concord 29^th January 1990 Why I jailed Gani.

Gani the politician did not fare well. He lacks the subtle deception of Nigerian politicians. To confront Abacha, whom Chief had naively invited to take over and install MKO, he formed National Conscience Party and in 2003, contested presidential election. Most of his worshippers including this writer, felt Chief would have done well in the senate and build a vibrant opposition (it was clear he wouldn’t win any presidential election in Nigeria as presently constituted)

Chief as a social crusader, a judicial activist and intellectual, is in a class of his own. His passion often propels him into line of fire before grasping the facts of the matter. But once involved, he effortlessly changes trajections and armoury till he panels out a victory for the people. This was the case in his fight against ex-governor of Lagos state Bola Tinubu. Section 308 of the 1999 constitution came to Tinubu’s rescue but Gani got victory. You can now investigate a sitting governor; section 308 merely says you can’t prosecute.

Since the murder of Dele Giwa (publisher of Newswatch) in 1986 under the dictatorial watch of IBB and Halilu Akilu, Gani has gone through the length and dept of Nigerian legal system to get IBB to answer some unresolved questions. At Oputa Panel, the articulation and brilliance of Chief was on display so much so that even his “enemies” could not help but admire his resourcefulness and commitment. But IBB and other ex-military heads of state beat him to it, got a court order restraining them from appearing before the panel. Another example of to Gani’s attention to details came to lime-light when like a village headmaster, a cane in hand, he appeared on a national TV and demonstrated the cost implication of ex-president Obasanjo’s perambulation and incessant increments of fuel price.  Today, Gani has been vindicated. All the globetrotting of Obasanjo did not bring any meaningful oyinbo investor rather inferior onyibos were imported to further under develop Nigeria.

Gani’s uprightness, high moral credentials and courage are unquestionable. Gani never waited for “anybody” to be out of office before pointing out his sins to him. Unlike these modern day turn-coat democrats, who are now calling OBJ names after stealing and aiding in OBJ’s ruin of Nigeria, Gani, a man of rare courage, took up every Draculan policy of any government to the cleaners before the ink enacting it dries up. Like a wasp perched on the testis of a hammer armed carpenter, Gani stood his grounds and dared Abacha, when fleeing was order of the day. According to Adebayo Adefarati (former governor of Ondo State-Gani’s home town), “All I can add on Gani is to acknowledge his courage and sagacity in public affairs. If more Nigerians had Gani’s courage, Nigeria would have been the greater for it”  

Adefarati’s admonition has not yielded fruit because members of the human right community have collapsed into NGO while running for foreign donors. A good number of them have abandoned ideology, taking up Special Assistant jobs from questionable politicians, who are yet to purge themselves of their anti-masses position during the military tyranny and the amok days of OBJ.  These ex-comrades are now come and raid, forgetting that human right abuses are more rampant and worst under unwatched and unchallenged democratic governance.

The last time I read with joy the Episcopal letter from my god was when he attacked the forced leave to Kuru of the median EFCC chairman. News had it that he wrote from a sick bed in London. (Like all gods from Zeus, Jupiter through Anu to Amadioha, my god is not physically intimidating or always in robust health. But he has never allowed his heart ailment and hypertension slow him down) Ever since then, I have been thirsty for news about my god. Like Laban confronted Jacob in Genesis 31 vs. 30 “…yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?” I ask you, where is my god?   

 

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