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More Praises As Fawehinmi's Funeral Rites Begins - Politics - Nairaland

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More Praises As Fawehinmi's Funeral Rites Begins by ndelta1(m): 6:38am On Sep 08, 2009
More praises as Fawehinmi's funeral rites begins
By Abiodun Fanoro

AT exactly 1.07 p.m. yesterday, Chief Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi (SAN) returned to his Ikeja, Lagos residence, but in a white glass casket borne by a six-man pall-bearer from a funeral undertaking firm. The pall-bearers were preceded by a 10-man trumpet band.

Fawehinmi, dressed in one of his common white buba and soro outfit, with a pair of black shoes and a green cap, rested his head on a raised part of the enclosure serving as his pillow.

The casket was followed by members of his immediate family, closely followed by relatives, admirers and sympathisers.

The procession, which came in through the back-door receded at exactly 1.17 p.m. when activist body and his immediate family entered his house through the back sitting-room.

At this point, sympathisers including journalists, were politely told to stay out for a brief moment to allow members of the family have what the family spokesperson called "last private time with their beloved."

The last private time lasted about 33 minutes, after which the door was opened for his admirers and sympathisers who came in thousands to pay their last respect, marking the beginning of the lying-in-state.

At the centre of the back living room, the glass casket bearing Fawehinmi's body was placed on a wheel table and was guided by three ropes.

The procession, which took off from the premises of Ikeja General Hospital, at exactly noon, sang one of Gani's famous anti-oppression songs: "Solidarity is for ever, Solidarity for ever, solidarity for ever, we shall always fight for our rights." This was occasionally punctuated with some light Christian songs. The Ikeja residence had on Monday, hosted many visitors from all parts of the country and from all walks of life. As in his life-time, his "most cherished friends, known to be his weekly guests - the blind and other destitute - yesterday were among those who came to pay their last respects to the great benefactor.

The 21-blindman band led by Zakari Hassan, belonged to the Blind Youth Association in Ebute-Metta, Lagos.

The blind were led into the living room where Gani's body lay by a member of the Fawehinmi family. And like others, they filed past the body, pay their last respect.

Hassan told The Guardian that they had lost a major helper, who gave them food and cloth regularly. Hassan described Gani as their father who had always protected them against oppression.

He lamented that with his death, they would face the problem of feeding and protection. It would be recalled that a member of this band was the one who commissioned the late Fawehinmi's multi-million naira residence in Ikeja in 2006. The plaque was aptly displayed at the entrance to the main building by the late human rights activist.

Also yesterday, members of Adegbite Market Women and Men Association in Mushin, Lagos, besieged the residence to pay their last respects to Fawehinmi, who they said, helped to take up their case against the then military administration in Lagos State that wanted to evict them.

The leader of the Association, Mr. Martin Ejimadu, told The Guardian that but for Fawehinmi they would have been dispossessed of their market today, adding that for the invaluable service he rendered, Gani collected little or nothing from them.

Other callers at the Ondo-born philanthropist residence included Maj.-Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo (rtd), Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, former External Affairs Minister, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, Chief Frank Kokori, former Minister of State for Defence, Mrs. Modupe Adelaja, Ekiti State Action Congress governorship candidate, Mr. Kayode Fayemi, his Lagos State Democratic People's Alliance's counterpart, Chief Jimi Agbaje and Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo.

In a statement distributed to journalists, Gen. Adebayo described the deceased as a great philanthropist and an exemplary human being who lived his whole life for humanity and worked tirelessly for the betterment of Nigeria.

Adebayo particularly appreciated Gani's scholarship scheme for the under-privileged, which he said, helped to emancipate people across the country.

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