The Executive Director of Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN) has charged members of the Gani Fawehinmi Students Chamber of Faculty of Law, Lagos State University (LASU) to preserve the nobility of the law profession by upholding the defense of justice and human rights.
Barr. Williams stated this on Friday the 30th of May 2025, during his Special Recognition at the Sessional Intra-Moot Competition organized by the group in Lagos.
In his speech, he highlighted the life of Chief Gani Fawehinmiwho exemplified an uncompromising force against anti-democratic elements by his actions especially during the General Babangida and Sani Abacha junta known for their repressive decrees.
Barr. Chima Wiliams also inaugurated the “Chima Williams Prize for the Spirit of Advocacy” as part of his efforts to support young activists who use their talent and time to support meaningful and challenging situations in their communities.
Barr. Williams speech at the event reads as follows:
Great Nigerian Students,
Great legal minds!
It is indeed an honour to be among you today and I appreciate the recognition of my work by your prestigious chamber.
This exercise is particularly profound when viewed in the light of the struggles of the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi who exemplified an uncompromising force against anti-democratic elements by his actions especially during the General Babangidaand Sani Abacha junta known for their repressive decrees.
I personally learnt a lot from Chief Fawehinmi’s struggles and what I learnt helped to form me and stoked the fires of my advocacy against corporate powers ruining the Nigerian environment.
But Chief Gani Fawehinmi was not the only one in the limelight at the time. There were others also. There was the late ChimaUbani, a vibrant leader of the pro-democracy movement in Nigeria and a former Amnesty International prisoner of conscience. There was also Professor Festus Iyayi of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) who died in unclear circumstances while on a crusade against injustice in the land. These were great men who have written their names in our nations’ annals.
Dear friends I led the team that took oil giant – Shell to court in the Hague for despoilation of the environment in some Niger Delta communities – Ikot Ada Udo, Goi and Bodo
It was not an easy task. For nearly 18 years myself and my colleagues worked tirelessly with the communities to document the atrocities of Shell in relation to their environment. We had near death brushes with militants and risked our lives many times to obtain credible information that was useful in the courts.
Finally we won and the affected communities got justice.
The work we did in the affected communities was one among several reasons why I was awarded the Goldman Prize in the environment category in Africa in the year 2022. But beyond prizes, it is not only these three communities that suffer from the extractive companies. Similar situations are playing out across the Niger Delta and even in mining communities in Nasarawa, Kogi, Zamfara in the north and across the entire federation.
These activities are enabled by big companies that exploit our resources with reckless abandon and believe they do not owe the people and environment anything. These things are going on with the connivance of people in high places and foreigners and need to be checked.
Though we have done work strenuously in the last three or more decades, to save our environment and people, the younger generation must now be involved. You are the heroes of now and the future waiting to be drawn into the battle of saving our nation.
Nobody will do it for you. Outsiders will not save Nigeria. Sitting back and complaining on social media will not achieve it. You must be ready to leave your comfort zone, roll up your sleeves and get into the field. That is what the great Gani Fawehinmi did. And that is what many did.
It is not a one off activity because protecting freedom is an eternal work that does not stop. That is why it seems we have not liberated Nigeria. We did not take on this course because we wanted awards. We did it because it is noble and we believed in it and knew it was the right thing to do. Even the great democracies will hail today are still under threat of autocracy and dictatorship and their citizens are still fighting to hold back the tide.
Chima Williams Prize for Spirit of Advocacy
Recognising the work of environmental human rights defenders also requires support either moral or otherwise, I have decided to inaugurate the Chima Williams Prize for the Spirit of Advocacy today.
This is a modest effort to support young activists who use their talent and time to support meaningful and challenging situations in their communities.
It is also a way of giving back to the society which gave me the opportunity to play a role in saving it.
Once again I thank you for the recognition you have accorded me today. Thank you.
Aluta Continua!!!
