NIGERIA MASTERWEB DAILY NEWS

By Kola Alapinni Sometimes in 1997, I was a research assistant as a Part IV Law student in UI to one of my lecturers. She asked me to pop into the Chief’s office to set up a meeting since I was in Lagos gathering some research material for her. The Owolabi Afuye Memorial Lectures of the Ibadan NBA were coming up and my teacher was in charge of organizing the ceremony for the NBA. She wanted the Chief to play a part. I remember being ushered into his office by his then Deputy Head of Chambers Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, himself an alumnae of the Ibadan Law Faculty. The rain had beat me silly on the ‘okada’ from Anthony Village Junction to his Law Office had had me drenched and shivering from head to toe. But as soon as I laid my eyes on this great man, I was well! I was simply awestruck by the simplicity exuded by this great man. He offered me a handshake but I didn’t even notice! I had been consumed and lost in ‘Ganiphilia’. The pictures on the wall, various memorabilia, the books and books and books all around and scores of people all waiting in the lobby downstairs. I did set up the meeting and I drove Mrs. E.S. Olarinde there the following week in the company of Mr. Akanbi, now Justice Akanbi of the Oyo State High Court. Unfortunately as typical of the military years, the operatives of the State Security Service SSS were hovering round his office premises. He called the office from his car to inform us of his inability to meet with us and he offered his apologies. I remember the other members of the entourage were absolutely gutted on not being able to meet him on that occasion. Such was the magnet of the man called Gani. The second was shortly before a trip to South Africa in January 2001, I had just won a scholarship to study for an ill-fated LLM at the Center for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, the whole world was at my feet or so it seemed. The LLM programme coordinator Norman Taku, now the Deputy Director of the Centre had requested via a phone call if I could get him one of Gani’s books; Murder of Dele Giwa: The Rights of a Private Prosecutor. There was only one place to go again, Gani’s Chambers. I met him once again and he congratulated me on my scholarship. I stated my mission and he asked one of his men to get the book from a portakabin downstairs. As a good measure, he also gave me his Human Rights in Africa Law Reports when he found out my area of study was in Human Rights Law and a few other books. And he autographed them as well. Norman was well pleased I should say. These books were all donated to the Centre for Human Rights Law Library in Pretoria. And I am happy to say that I facilitated them. Such is the kind gesture of this great man. Amongst all the numerous stories and anecdotes that abound of Gani, let it be remembered that this great human rights activist also sowed into the study of human rights law in a land where human wrongs and man’s oppression and segregation of his fellow man based on the colour of his skin had been Africa’s greatest festering sore. Rest in Peace Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi Kola Alapinni Birmingham, UK 10th September 2009