Former United States Ambassador to Nigeria , Mr. Walter Carrington, could not hold back his emotion yesterday when he visited the graveside of the late Nigeria’s human rights crusader and lawyer , Chief Gani Fawehinmi .

The ambasaador, who visited the family of the late human right crusader in his country home in Ondo, called on Nigerians especially lawyers to emulate him by being in the forefront of the struggle for the defense of people’s right at all times.

Carrington had been in Ondo state since Monday along his wife, Arese, when he delivered a lecture entitled Electoral Reform, Good Governance & Democracy in commemoration of the first year anniversary of the Dr. Olusegun Mimiko’s Administration in the state. 

According to the diplomat who was on his way back to his base, Fawehinmi could have lived a comfortable life because of his successful legal practice, but instead chose to defend the defenseless through the use of the instrument of the law and mass mobilisation against acts of injustice and oppression.

Describing the late lawyer’s death as great loss not only to Nigeria and Africa, but the world in general, Carrington posited that Gani’s passionate championship of the rights of the masses must never be forsaken or forgotten.

“ Nigeria, Africa and the world have lost a voice that can never be replaced. May the younger generation take up your mantle and continue the struggle until poverty is eliminated and all men and women have equal opportunity”, he said.

Recounting his days with Gani, the former envoy gave graphic details of the oppression and intimidation rights activists and pro-democracy groups went through during the inglorious Sani Abacha regime.

He recounted one of such events saying: “a pro-democracy group gave me a farewell but Abacha people did not allow it to take place, they surrounded the venue, we decided to change the venue by going through unidentified paths to somewhere in Surulere, but we were later found by the then Rapid Response Squad (RRS) men.

" I saw their Commander making a phone call that ‘Oga, we have found them, the Ambassador is about making a speech’ then a soldier threatened to shoot me, Gani confronted and dared them to come and disrupt a private event, eventually they left when it was obvious that he will not be browbeaten by their guns and all. 
"That’s was the type of person Gani was made of, he was never afraid; always in the forefront, he was a great champion of rights."

In her tribute, Carrington's wife, Arese, wrote in the condolence register: “You were a voice for the voiceless. A defender of the defenseless. Walter and I can never forget you. Generations to come will hear of your great deeds.’’

Mimiko, while thanking the Carringtons for the visit, said the greatest tribute to the late legal giant is for freedom fighters to continue to uphold the ideals which Gani stood for in his lifetime.