Date Published: 09/06/09

Fawehinmi to be buried in Ondo Country Home

The remains of Nigeria’s foremost political – social reform crusader, Chief Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi will be interred in Ondo sometime this week.

The family of the departed law giant and the Muslim community in Ondo town, Ondo State all weekend tried to come into some agreement of the exact date of burial.  There was no clear indication of an agreed day yet, even as the governments of Ondo and Lagos States with the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA have indicated interest in Chief Fawehinmi’s burial arrangements.

The Muslim community of Ondo had said that they would prefer Tuesday, but the family is thinking of either Wednesday or Saturday in order to avoid a choked up arrangement. They do not want a clash with the traditional ogun festival taking place in Ondo on Thursday.

A constant thorn in the flesh for inept leaders and corrupt officials, the legal luminary who for many years preferred  the honour of Senior Advocate of the Masses conferred on him by Students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile – Ife, reportedly set out his burial details in black and white and made adequate financial provision for the obligation.

Chief Fawehinmi was said to have indicated that he would love to be buried next to his mother at his Oka, Ondo residence. His mother died six years ago.  Governor Rahman Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State with the full representation of his entire cabinet was one of the prominent people who paid a condolence visit to Fawehinmi’s house in Ikeja on Sunday.

He described Chief Fawehinmi, his kinsman as ‘an uncle’.  He said aside the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, was the other man whom Mimiko’s father, late Bamidele Atiku Mimiko ever believed.