At about 8.15pm on Wednesday, 11th August, 2021, I stumbled on the rudest and most shocking news of the death of a dear brother, friend and colleague, the scion of the Chief Gani Fawehinmi Family, Mohammed Fawehinmi (fondly called MO by friends and associates). I was actually attending a meeting at the time, but the news was too shocking that I screamed and instinctively dropped my mobile phone like it had virus swirling all over it. My reaction attracted the attention of other members of the meeting and caused them to ask natural curious questions… ‘what happened’?, “what happened’? It took me a moment before I managed to voice out the sad news I just read. The entire meeting even though dominated by non-lawyers went into a mourning mood upon my disclosure of the sad news. This was because majority of them knew MO and those who didn’t know him knew his legendary father, Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN. It therefore became a loss not only personal to me, but to the rest of my fellow club members. The meeting was actually the weekly meeting of Rotary Club of Ogba, District 9110.
MO was such an amiable and genial personality. He was most humble and very energetic regardless of his physical challenge. Prior to MO’s unfortunate accident which constrained him to the wheelchair, he was known to be very active in practice and many saw him as a natural successor to Gani’s activism crusade. He was also a sportsman and I learnt just recently that Chief Gani Fawehinmi was indeed preparing him to make it to the Olympics for sprint races. Unfortunately, the accident cut short those dreams. Interestingly, while some will be dampened by such a sudden mobility constraints, MO never allowed his situation to affect his outward emotions and activities. MO carried on with legal practice and activism even on the wheelchair. I spoke with MO earlier this month, precisely on the 2nd of August, to discuss a personal project with him and in his characteristics ‘humble’ response, he said “otise e se sir” (It is done sir). He always used sir to address me, yet he was much older than I am. Such an humble personality!
There was no time I saw MO either privately or at any official engagement that I did not develop goose pimples. His arrival at any event was always significant and emotional. He was such a brave activist and this was an attestation to his being the true son of his father. He was very eloquent and highly voracious in both political and bar activism. The legal profession has lost a rare gem. Indeed, the world has lost a pious and very good man. My condolences to the Chief Gani Fawehinmi Family especially the Matriach of the Family, Mrs. Ganiat Fawehinmi and All MO’s siblings, the Chief Gani Fawehinmi Chambers’ Alumni, the Nigerian Law Publications Ltd, the Nigerian Bar Association, especially the Ikeja Branch where he was a member, and all MO’s friends, colleagues and associates.
As your body is lowered beneath the earth today, I pray that the Almighty God grant your soul eternal rest in His bosom and comfort the family and the rest of us. Sleep Well MO.
Adesina Adegbite, FICMC
Past National Welfare Secretary, NBA
