Gani Flew To Sokoto To Flog Me For Dancing On TV — Mohammed Fawehinmi



In this interview, Mohammed, first son of late legal icon, Gani Fawehinmi, tells GBENGA ADENIJI why his father stood on the side of the masses

Why did your father opt for a life in the service of public good?

I believe that there were certain things he saw. My grandfather was a philanthropist and because of his wealth, he did not only take care of his children, but several other children on the streets, who needed help. My grandfather was not educated but God blessed him abundantly and he helped many people. My father experienced a little taste of poverty which made him realise why his own father chose to live for the masses.

He felt it was important for him to assist people in need. His first area of interest was education because he benefitted from education. He reasoned that, that was key to success in life. He had always wanted to rule this country to make an impact but he was not given the chance. They knew the kind of President he would have been because he was an honest and straightforward man.

He was a man who would rather die for his beliefs. He never believed in compromise and he called a spade a spade. As his children, we adopted the same behaviour. He did not provide other options for us. We had to go through the straight, narrow and sometimes curvy path. The moment you doubted his way of life, you could not be on the same page with him or in his good books. That was clear.

Since his father was wealthy, how come he experienced poverty?

When his father died, the money that was being sent to him while he was studying in England stopped. He then started to fend for himself by doing menial jobs. That was when he tasted another side of life. When he was in his father’s house, a lot of things were done for him by people who worked for my grandfather, who was the Seriki Musulumi of Ondo State. And from what I was told, my father used to carry the umbrella and stool wherever his father went.

The story of how he became a lawyer began after his father’s driver killed someone with a car. His father was called for questioning by a young lawyer who did not respect the position of a religious leader, which my grandfather shouldered then. My grand father was annoyed by the way he was treated despite his influence and position. That was when he vowed that my father was going to study law.

Your father was a radical lawyer. Did this reflect in the way he disciplined his children?

My father used wood, horsewhip, cane and wire to flog any of his children that erred. I tasted them all.

Can you give an example of when he beat you and what was your offence?

There were many instances. When I was in form three at the Federal Government College, Sokoto, I went to the Nigerian Television Authority in the state with some friends to dance. The dance was later shown on television. He was at home watching the television with my mother when he saw me dancing. My father was very angry and took the first flight the following day to Sokoto. He came to the school and when I saw him, he asked what I was doing at NTA. I told him we went there to learn about the music and culture of the people in that part of the country. He asked me if that was what he sent me to do in school. Then he started flogging me with the horsewhip he had brought with him.

One of our teachers in the school Mr. Ogunleye, came to my defence that it was part of the school’s project but my father told him that he would not want me to become an uneducated entertainer and that I should concentrate on my education. The school principal took a particular interest in me and he warned me not to engage in anything that would make my father come and flog me in the school again.

But unfortunately again, two junior pupils were fighting and I intervened. One of them was a cousin to the head boy, who was my class mate. He was rude to me, so I slapped him. He went to report the incident and I was suspended from the school for a week. When I got home, my father asked me why I was suspended and I told him. For one week, he was coming to my room every night to give me six strokes of the cane. He would also repeat the punishment in the morning. I did not enjoy any preferential treatment from him and I was always at the receiving end of every argument with my siblings.

Did you try to escape the regular punishment?

There was a time I wanted to run away. I did not want to see anybody. I contemplated it more than four times. There was a day he flogged me and I asked myself if Gani was actually my father, I thought if he was my father, he would not beat me so hard. There was blood all over my back on that day.

When he lost the Presidential election, what did he say to his family?

He came home and started laughing. He said he knew that enemies of the country would not allow him to rule the country even if he had won. He said he contested the election because he wanted to convict those who plundered the nation’s resources through the instrumentality of the law.

Was he also instrumental to your choice of career since his father influenced him to become a lawyer?

I had many influences in my choice of studying law. When I was young, I used to follow my father to the court. After graduating from the University of Lagos where I studied Business Administration, I realised that lawyers can also have time to relax and have fun, unlike my dad. He would drive into the court in his Peugeot 504 car while other lawyers would came in Mercedes Benz. After the court, some would go to have a nice time but my father would head straight for his chamber.

My father was more concerned with how intelligent his employees were. He had no emotion for failure and he never tolerated mistakes. He was a thorough person. When I was studying law at the University of Buckingham, he visited me about nine times whenever he had a chance, after leaving detention.

Since he was a busy man, did he have time for the family?

He was indeed a good father. Whenever he could, he would find time to stay with the family to crack jokes and many of us would laugh heartily. There was a day he cracked some jokes and my brother laughed so deep that he fell off the chair.

I also started coughing because we just finished eating bush meat and pounded yam. He was a very funny man. I also remember how men of the State Security Service came to whisk him away that night.


How did the children react each time he was arrested?

We were very young in those days. I was four years old when I saw him being arrested. It was like a scene from a James Bond movie to us. He would later tell us that he wanted to handle cases for them each time the security operatives came to arrest him. But when the arrests increased, my brother queried why they were always coming at night, for such cases. It was when we grew older that he told us everything that happened during his incarceration. But while we were young, he would only play with us whenever he was back.

Did his absence affect the children in any way?

We missed his closeness. Some of our friends used to tell us then that their father took them to one place or the other. But at that period, our own father would be in detention. It made us a bit tough. I would like to discipline my children but not too hard. I did not know why he chose to be hard on me but it was probably because two of his friends’ children were pampered and got influenced by bad company. It could be that my father was guarding against such situation.

What are the virtues you imbibed from him?

I have gained greatly from his hard work, research skills and honesty.

Did he have any special food?

Yes he did. He loved bush meat, vegetable soup, ewedu and pounded yam.

What was his social life like?

He was not a party man. I can count the number of parties he attended when he was alive. The social functions he attended were few weddings and other parties for friends and close relations.

How did the family face the task of closing his chambers since it was a legacy in itself?

He stated in his Will that we should close the chambers within two years of his death. It was a very distressing thing for all of us. Members of the staff who felt the chambers must continue were very emotional about it. Some people asked where we wanted the masses to go to, maybe because we were the only chambers offering free cases on a large scale. Since I have two step sisters, a younger brother and a nephew who are lawyers, we wondered where they would go. The chamber was a fountain of knowledge. I consulted with some of my dad’s closest friends who told me to forget about emotion and do what he told me. They reasoned that there would be a reason for his decision. We eventually closed the chambers on January 15, 2011 to coincide with the date he started practicing on January 15, 1965. He established his own chambers on April 22, 1965 which also coincided with his birthday.

Can you remember a time when emotions overwhelmed him?

It was when I had an accident. He was completely distressed. I never saw him cry like that. He continued crying until we got to England for treatment. On arrival in England, we drove straight in an ambulance to the General Hospital, Coventry. The hospital had about nine Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan and nine Computerised Tomography scan. Everything was in multiples there. We did the CT and MRI scans. Many of my siblings were there. After the scan, the doctor said I would be operated upon. That was when my father burst into tears. He was sobbing like a baby and my mother had to console him. The operation lasted for about four hours and it was successful because blood did not go into my brain.

http://www.punchng.com/feature/famous-parents/gani-flew-to-sokoto-to-flog-me-for-dancing-on-tv-mohammed-fawehinmi/

Spare the rod they say, spoils the child.

Can we still get people like Gani?
He would have been very good for Nigeria!

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What a good father you are, Chief Gani Fawehinmi I am eternally grateful to God for giving us a person with impeccable character and principled personality as him! May he continue to rest in the bosom of the LORD!

Immediately this true man of God lost that election i know that this country can't move forward because we are blind to recognize people with passion and genuine to move the nation forward. Can you imagine that- Gani did not garner 30,000 votes out of 15 million Nigerians who voted in 2003 presidential election? it was then I submitted to the assertion that the nation is curse and will continue dwelling poverty until people open their eyes.

His immesurable contribution to humanity cannot be quantified in cash and brown envelops.

There were many instances. When I was in form three at the Federal Government College, Sokoto, I went to the Nigerian Television Authority in the state with some friends to dance. The dance was later shown on television. He was at home watching the television with my mother when he saw me dancing. My father was very angry and took the first flight the following day to Sokoto. He came to the school and when I saw him, he asked what I was doing at NTA. I told him we went there to learn about the music and culture of the people in that part of the country. He asked me if that was what he sent me to do in school. Then he started flogging me with the horsewhip he had brought with him.

One of our teachers in the school Mr. Ogunleye, came to my defence that it was part of the school’s project but my father told him that he would not want me to become an uneducated entertainer and that I should concentrate on my education. The school principal took a particular interest in me and he warned me not to engage in anything that would make my father come and flog me in the school again.

times don change

with uneducated tabon tabon entertainers like psquare pulling down the big dough it will be much harder to dissuade kids from going into entertainment

Still reading the thread.....

The people's MAN

Gani, the greatest man that will go into history like those who path truethful way of Almighty God.
This man was extra in quality. He made history by ensuring people shouldnt be taken granted. the fear of Gani made it imposible for govt. to introduce hardship on people like we observed in January this year. If the man was alive Jonathan will go for option b instead of a. The man is a great hero, people like him have their place in the right hand of God.
May his legacy never ever ruin and may almighty God continue to protect his family and what he left behind.

Gani Ȋ̝̊̅§ a great man, i voted 4 him durin 2003 election because i c hope in him den. RIP

byrron:


Nigerians only appreciates people when they are dead.
The same Nigerians claiming to love him now didn't bother to vote for him while he was alive and wanted their votes so as to change things rather we voted in our usual corrupt leaders only to cry later.

You are absolutely right. Even today, we have a few characters carved in Gani's image. Tunde Bakere and Femi Falana come to mind but instead of appreciating their efforts on fighting the promoters of that evil behomoth called PDP, we rather insult and castigate them asking them to mind their bizness. Tomorow when they are gone we'd see all manner of emotional tributes and encomiums in their respect.

Nigerians indeed pull down anything that seeks to uplift them. We are our own nemesis.

A man who left a legacy based on stong principles. May his soul rest in peace.

GANI WILL ALWAYS BE OUR HERO, THE IMPACT HE MADE IN MANY FAMILIES ALL OVER NIGERIA CAN NOT BE QUANTIFIED. MY UNCLE BENEFITED FROM HIS SCHOLARSHIP FROM SECONDARY SCHOOL UP TO MASTERS LEVEL; AND WE'RE NOT EVEN YORUBA OR FROM SOUTHERN PART OF NIGERIA, TODAY MY UNCLE IS A PROUD LAWYER, AN EMPLOYER OF LABOUR AND HAS CONTRIBUTED TO OUR EDUCATIONAL LIVES TOO. THANKS SO MUCH PA. GANI FAWEHINMI (THE BEST PRESIDENT NIGERIA NEVER HAD).

Nt until Nigerians recognise who their 2ru heroes nd heroin are we will continue to wire in d mire of ignorance nd delusion.What a moment of disapointment nd disregard 4 a selfless nd sacrificial service to humanity in that 2003 presidential election.Hmmm the people realy deserve their leader.

I know nairaland tell lies about all of its story.. I do not believe this story was true.


But I do not believe in beating a Child, there are other ways children can learn. I use to be a teacher. so I know there are alternative to correcting children.

jas_o, where did you get the impression that Gani did not get 30,000 vote in Nigeria. Or they rig the election..


how many people do you think live there. Who do you think they voted for..? 99% of the vote was for Gani.. In the whole of Ondo state according to exit poll, Gani won all of the local govt.. Gani got more than 70% of the vote in Ondo state. They rig the election. But the govt change all of the vote. Do you think anyone can win against Gani in Lagos state. The answer is NO.. There is election rigging in Nigeria.. That why when people talk as if they can get justice through election process in Nigeria. It is because they are fools.. everybody rig election in Nigeria.

There can never be democracy in Nigeria. Only fools believe in running for election in Nigeria, only to loss their money. this is why Boko haram uses violent, they would never get justice through the legal system of Nigeria or the electroral system of nigeria.

I do not believe in the jusdiciary system in Nigeria and dont for the electroral system too. Goodluck will rig the election.

On the issue of satellite pictures, justice can not be got by the nigeria jusdiciary or election system. Anyone would been honest with you, will tell you. That justice can only be got by violent mean in Nigeria. This is how justice is got in Nigeria. No one give you anything in Nigeria.

Look if an arm robber walks into your house in Nigeria. 99% of Nigerian will kill the arm robber and would not call the police.. and they will ask their friend to drag the body on the street in daylight. you can ask the USA or uk ambassadors who have lived in nigeria. they will tell you the truth. even if they go back to nigeria, most of them will carry AK47 and will pull the trigger,when need be.

why, because you cant get justice by the jusdiciary or electoral system in Nigeria, it is only by violent means that the issue of the satellite pictures can be resolve. And this is why I have put pressure on the international community for help. because it boils down to using violent to resolve the issue..

The army is already divided, some of the thing you see, is because the army is divided. And there would be war in Nigeria.



victim of Goodluck Jonathan,sambo, david mark ,aminu etc refusal to alter the configuration of nigeria because of the satellite pictures of nigeria..

victim of the refusal


Major Kanady Dalaky

@ Musinwa, may be you will provide us the update result after what was release by INEC.
As i write some fools still can’t recognize the impact of Gani in their lives. this is more reason why some will quickly call for suspension of strike that meant to correct wrong decision by govt.
Do you want to claim innocent of statement by some retardant Nigerians that Gani and Oshiomole should leave them alone during fuel price increase protest? That after the protest they will compromise the intention and collect bribe from govt.?
Stop saying what you did not know or say it the way it is. our people are deficit upstairs, they don’t know quality of good leadership and this is feature of poverty.

for the fact that a father whips or flogs his child doesnt mean that he doesnt love him/her. i love gani cos he knew the implications of raising a rotten child in the name of pampering a son. the bible in proverbs admonishes we should not spare flogging our children becos in the heart of a child is foolishness abode. for those that have been following western culture of dont flog the child, expect mass muderers and criminals of tomorrow from your house. I love gani and may his legacy continue to be of great encouragement to us.

A great salute to this Senior Advocate of the Masses(SAM); may your soul rest in peace sir. When shall we see someone like you in our beloved country?

Great disciplinarian.