Who is your role model? This is a question that has generated a lot of response among cross sections of people. I have a friend who even says he does not have a role model. Well, I wonder whether he is actually being honest.
However, for me, I have a role model. I found my role model way back in my secondary school days. He has been an inspiration to me and will always be.
Before I proceed, let us first examine what a role model means. A role model is any person you admire or try to copy.
Who then is my role model and what is his profile?
Well, I will give you his profile first, and thereafter, I will give you his name.
My model enrolled at Holborn College of Law, University of London, to study Law in 1961.
While there, his father died. This greatly affected his financial and academic life. To survive and to ensure he completed his course of study, he did menial jobs like washing of plates in a hotel. This was his first-hand encounter with poverty, and probably what gingered him to venture into the “life-threatening human rights activism, pro-democracy struggles,” and philanthropy, fighting for the welfare of the poor masses.
When he completed his course of study and returned to Nigeria, he came with only a pair of suit, two pairs of shoes, and a small luggage.
He started his legal practice from the scratch and commenced his one-man rioting squad, in defence of the underprivileged, the weak, the poor, and the oppressed. For oppressing the corrupt, oppressive, and tyrannical regimes, he was jailed several times. But these did not deter him. All his life, he stood for a pure and just course.
His practice of philanthropy was also aimed at empowering the poor and the underprivileged. He has been awarding scholarship to indigent students for over 35 years. In 2009, his university scholarship went to 39 indigent students, male and female, Christians and Muslims from all over the country.
In 2001, he was awarded the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), a rank given only to lawyers who have distinguished themselves as advocates and have made significant contribution to the development of legal profession in Nigeria.
In 1984 alone, he handled over 5, 000 cases in court free of charge for the indigent people who could not afford to pay legal practitioner’s fee.
His law office is one of the most successful law offices in the country. In addition, he has a flourishing publishing company called Nigerian Law Publication Ltd. Established in 1985, his company publishes Nigerian Weekly Law Reports (NWLR), a very popular law report in the country. He splashed about 600 million naira building his new premises at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos State.
He went into human rights activism not because he wanted to make money. In fact, at the time he started his human rights struggle, it was not lucrative, but a dangerous venture. It is even on record that if he had none gone into human rights activism, he would have been richer.
He made his money not from government contracts, appointments, or politics. He even hated having contact with the evil and oppressive regimes of the past. He made his money from his legal practice and from his publishing company.
Public money meant little to him; what matters to him is social reform for the welfare of the poor masses. In 2008, he rejected an award of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), the highest award in the land.
On the international scene, he has been accorded great recognition for his commitment to fighting social injustice, corruption, maladministration, and all vices. Bernard Simmons’ award to him in Canada is one of such recognition.
My role model passed on Saturday September 5, 2009, at a time I was writing my project as an undergraduate. I had earlier hoped I would, one day, do my Chamber Attachment or work directly under him, to acquire more practical experience in legal practice.
I pay glowing tribute to this legal icon, human rights activist, and philanthropist.
To me and millions of his of his fans, he is not dead but lives. As Shakespeare said, “Those who live in the hearts of men never die.”
My role model is no other person than Chief Gani Fawehinmi, who is not only a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), but also the Senior Advocate of the Masses (SAM).
Are you looking for a role model?
For anyone looking for a role model, Gani’s life is a shining example of what you should expect of your own role model.
In your search for a role model, look for the following qualities:
Quality of Greatness
A great man is not necessarily one who amasses millions for himself; many do so at the expense of others.
Francis Bacon defines a great man as “one who makes great opportunities out of the commonest situations.” Gani built his wealth from the scratch. He took his legal practice from relative obscurity to a super successful one. True greatness lies not in corruption and embezzlement of public funds, but in the ability to transform commonest situation into great opportunities
A true role model should be one whose life inspires noble deeds. Do you draw positive inspiration from your role model?
Selflessness
One major aspect of Gani’s life that is worthy of emulation is the selfless life he lived. All he stood and fought for was not for his own interest, but for the interest of the masses.
In the course of his struggle for the welfare of the underprivileged, the poor, and the downtrodden, he was imprisoned several times. His legal practice was flourishing enough to sustain him and his family, but his consuming passion was the enthronement of an egalitarian society where the poor masses are adequately and equally catered for.
Gani used his legal practice as a weapon of social transformation, it is on record that in 1984 alone, he handled over 5 000 cases in court free of charge for the indigent. And for over 35 years, he kept awarding scholarships to the underprivileged.
I think a true role model should be one who lives a selfless life. We live in a world where many people strive to grab everything for themselves. Some people cheat, steal, lie, and kill in order to be rich. Thank God, there are still people who do none of these to get rich. And these are the people we should look up to as our role model.
Think about it. If everybody is to be selfish, the world would be a terrible place to live in. The poor around us are our responsibility. God will not give us wealth if we are selfish. Wealth is given to those who will use it to better the lives of others and theirs.
Worrying about wealth is not the issue; the issue is using the little you have at the moment to better the lives of others. That is the way to trigger wealth. And that is the way a true role model should go about getting true wealth.
Indefatigability
Gani remained an indefatigable defender of human rights. He was jailed several times, his life was threatened. They did all these to him in order to silence him, but he remained undaunted. Others could be silenced, but not Gani fawehinmi.
A true role model should be one who is committed to fighting a pure and just cause.
Industry
Gani was a hardworking professional and did not tolerate laziness in his law office. Lawyers who have worked under him admitted that he does not tolerate laziness.
On the secret of his success in the legal profession, Gani said: “To succeed, you must work hard. You must read and read. That is what I do. When money comes, I plough it back into buying books. 80% of the money we make will be ploughed back into enlarging the Chambers. I do not take loans from anybody. My management style is: work hard and suffer hard. Why should a person who aspires to be a future leader report to work at 9am and leave at 5pm? You can’t face the challenge of the future that way. My staff must resume 7am or 7.30am and cannot leave until late in the evening. How they make it at 7am is their business. If you like, live your house at 4am, but in our Chambers, there is no room for laziness.
Hard work is one essential quality you should be looking for in a role model. True success comes by dint of hard work. Hard work does not kill; it is laziness that kills.
These are the qualities I admire in Chief Gani Fawehinmi, and that is why I say, he is my role model.
I also think these are the qualities you should be looking for in your own role model.
Look for a role model. Draw inspiration from him and start making your own contribution to the betterment of the society.
You too can also become a role model for the coming generation.
You are a victor!
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