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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Former military presidebt, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, has revealed that he tried to be friends with late human rights activist and lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi.
Babangida, who ruled between 1985 and 1993, spoke on ‘Inside Sources,’ a Channels Television programme anchored by Laolu Akande, on Friday.
Babangida described Fawehinmi as a good critic, adding that he valued his comments on national issues.
“If we come up with a policy, my first question to my staff was What would Gani Fawehinmi say? I like listening to him. I made it a point to become his friend.
“He was very friendly with one of my former ministers, the late Alex Akinyele. They were very good friends, and he (Alex) tried to make us very good friends.
“He (Fawehinmi) was a good critic and he didn’t want to be seen with someone that people already perceived as ‘an evil genius’,” he said.
Fawehinmi was a vocal critic of both military and civilian governments. Different military regimes incarcerated him but he never relented in his human rights activism. He died on September 5, 2009 at the age of 71.
Fawehinmi rejected the award of Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) conferred on him by late President Musa Yar’Adua in 2008. The activist said he took the decision in protest against bad governance since independence.
However, former President Muhammadu Buhari announced the conferment of the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON, the second-highest national honour, on the late activist in 2018.