By SaharaReporters, New York
The family of late
human rights lawyer,
Chief Gani Fawehinmi has rejected the centenary award of the Federal
Government, which is part of activities commemorating 100 years of the
country’s amalgamation.
Fawehinmi and 99 others are to be honoured across a total of 14
categories, but his family has turned down the honour, citing a number
of reasons, most important of which is the equal award of an honour to
ex-military ruler, General Ibrahim Babangida, whom the family considers
indirectly responsible for Fawehinmi’s death.
Fawehinmi’s first son, Mohammed explained the family’s position today
in a letter to Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim
Pious Anyim.
According to the letter, Babangida — asides allegedly masterminding
the death of journalist Dele Giwa — also incarcerated Fawehinmi,
spraying his cell with
toxic substances that inflicted him with
lung cancer,
the eventual cause of his death. For this reason, the family would
never imagine standing on the same podium with Babangida to receive an
award.
“We acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated 24th February 2014, which was routed through Mr. Tony Akiotu, group
managing director,
DAAR Communications, Abuja, wherein our late father, Chief Gani
Fawehinmi (SAN) was chosen as one of the awardees of the Centenary
celebrations of Nigeria by President Goodluck Jonathan”, Mohammed’s
letter read.
“We want thank the
Federal Government
for considering our late father for this HONOUR. However, for reasons
stated here under, our family has decided it would be inexpedient to
accept the award:
“In the list of the awardees published by the Federal Government was
the name of former military dictator, General Ibrahim Babangida, who as
military president, severally [sic] detained and tortured our late
father. In the course of one of such illegal and inhuman detentions, our
late father’s cell was sprayed with toxic substances while in Gashua
prison in 1987.
“The cumulative effect of that dastardly action led to our father, a
non-smoker, contracting lung cancer, which eventually led to his death
on September 5, 2009. We therefore, find it morally incongruous and
psychologically debilitating for our family to stand on the same podium
with General Babangida to receive awards”.
Fawehinmi’s family also cited the resurgence of killings in the
North-East, saying this ordinarily ought to be a period for sober
reflections, rather than wining and dining.
“Our late father was empathetic to the sufferings of our people,
particularly students. In the last 72 hours, 59 innocent students were
mowed down by the blood- thirsty Boko Haram terrorists in Yobe state,
while 20 other girls were similarly abducted by these same band of
terrorists”, the letter stated.
“These girls are still in captivity while their fate is unknown. If
our late father were to be alive, would he be wining and dining with all
the glitterati at a Centenary celebration under these circumstances?
Certainly no”.
Continuing, Mohammed wrote: “In the past few weeks, the polity has
been assaulted with putrid odour of corruption with the alleged $20
billion missing in NNPC, a development that became the Archilles heel of
Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the suspended governor of Central Bank.
“As an anti-corruption activist, if he were to be alive, our late
father would have confronted the issue head-long and possibly gone to
court. With the issue still raging, would our late father have accepted
this award at this critical moment? Certainly no.
“Our late father was unrepentantly for the UNITY of Nigeria. However,
with the level of profligacy in some of the events celebrating
NIGERIA’S Centenary, our late father would have preferred these
multi-million Naira expenditures channelled to our decrepit Teaching
hospitals, than unproductive razzmatazz that do not improve the
socio-Economic well being of our people. Sir, for these reasons, our
family respectfully declines to receive the award about to be conferred
on our late father by the government. Please, accept the assurances of
our highest consideration. Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
Mohammed’s rejection of the honour is the second since the list was
made public, following in the footstep of internationally acclaimed
musician Femi Kuti’s disclosure that his family would turn down the
award unless the Federal Government apologised for the death of his
grandmother and the burning of Kalakuta Republic.
The list itself is replete with controversial names, headlined by
that of erstwhile military dictator, late General Sani Abacha in the
category for Outstanding Promoters of Unity, Patriotism and National
Development.
