Lagos – The Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Organisation (GAFAMORG) on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to immortalise the late Gani Fawehinmi by renaming the headquarters of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) inAbuja after him.
Mr Ayodele Akele, the chairman of the organisation made the plea at a news conference on the seventh anniversary of Fawehinmi’s death.
He said that the headquarters of the commission should be renamed Chief Gani Fawehinmi Human Rights House.
“In memory and honour of indefatigable Gani, it is imperative to remember Gani with those things that he would have done; battles he would have fought on behalf of the masses.
“The several articles he would have written challenging the unjust decisions of the government and condemning the travails to which the masses are being subjected to,’’ Akele said.
He said the importance of preserving the memory of Fawehinmi as a great hero of the downtrodden masses and Senior Advocate of the masses, could never be overemphasised.
Akele also called for the establishment of Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Square in Abuja, where aggrieved Nigerians could gather peacefully without any molestation to protest and ventilate their anger over issues.
He said there would be a procession, candle night, laying of wreaths at the late Fawehinmi’s tomb in Ondo, and a public lecture on Sept. 5, among events to honour him in Akure.
The late human rights lawyer, popularly called Gani, died at 71 on Sept. 5 2009, after a prolonged battle with lung cancer.
During his lifetime, the highly vocal lawyer, who rose to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), stood on the side of the masses and condemned bad government policies, leading to his arrest and detention on numerous occasions.
He also delved into politics and founded the National Conscience party. (NAN)