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By Chukwuma Umeorah
Basirat Fawehinmi-Biobaku, first daughter of the late iconic Nigerian human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, has called on President Bola Tinubu to preserve the principles of her father and to implement good policies to ease the sufferings of the masses.
She made this call at the 14th memorial programme in honour of her father in Lagos, “State of the Nation, 14 Years After Gani,” where she was joined by other prominent activists and legal practitioners.
Fawehinmi-Biobaku emphasized that Gani’s principles were more relevant than ever, given the current hardships faced by the Nigerian people, particularly in the wake of the recent removal of the fuel subsidy.
She pleaded with Tinubu to explore more effective options aimed at addressing pressing issues and upholding good governance while invoking Gani’s core ideals of social justice, free education, affordable housing and good governance.
“I am using this medium to appeal to President Bola Tinubu to come up with a very remarkable palliative for the masses. People are suffering, dying in droves, they cannot afford food or shelter, there is so much hardship in the country,” she pleaded.
Fawehinmi-Biobaku also called on the ministers to be more proactive in their responsibilities stressing the need for the masses to feel the government’s impact. She noted that Tinubu, a former activist himself, could use his experience and influence to bring about positive change in Nigeria.
“Tinubu was also an activist in his heyday. He spoke and assured my father that he would always have the interest of the masses at heart. Now is the time to bring those promises to fulfillment because he was once on the street, so he knows where the shoe pinches.
“Let him use his impact to help this country. There is a lot of theft, kidnapping, insecurity, and all sorts. Nigeria is a rich country blessed with human and mineral resources spread across all the states, this should be used properly for the greater good of the people. I hope that the government is listening to what the people are saying, and they should try to alleviate their suffering,” she said.
In addition to the calls for government action, she suggested that town hall meetings be organized in the six geo-political zones to engage with the roots of Nigeria’s problems, with a particular emphasis on empowering local governments as the foundation of the people.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Tayo Oyetibo who was also present echoed the sentiments of upholding Gani’s principles and using the judicial process to effect change.
He emphasized the importance of following the rule of law and working tirelessly for the greater good of society.
While delivering his lecture on “The Increase in Military Incursions into Democratic Governance in West African Sub Region: What Lessons?”, Oyetibo expressed discontent at the worrisome spate of military takeovers within the West Africa region.
According to him, there was no legal justification for coup. “The worst civilian government is better than the best military government. I therefore, urge our leaders to be accountable and be of good service to the nation,”
On Gani’s legacy, he pointed that “The best way to remember him is to keep up the principles that he lived and died for. Which were the supremacy of the rule of law, using the judicial process to fight his battles. He never supported violence in terms of agitation or the use of military intervention to change government.”
