Team DASAN: Tributes to Granville Abibo SAN
The shocking news of his demise was devastating to us, his classmates, family, friends and the legal community-at-large; akin to being struck by a thunderbolt. Why, Why, Why? He was friendly, humble, generous and an extremely good legal practitioner. May Almighty God comfort his immediate and extended families, his friends, the NBA Port-Harcourt branch & NBA-at-large. An “iroko tree” has fallen. Goodnite brother. May your soul rest in perfect peace. Adieu! Adieu!! Adieu!!!”
- Chief Kunle Uthman (Jagunmolu of Ibesheland)
“I have heard so much about him, but met him one on one at the Organized session of Team DASAN Port Harcourt branch, he was humble, jovial and accomodating. I expected to see a highly classy, proud looking fellow, I was humbled seeing him so involved among so many Juniors and yet so hospitable and welcoming. Oh! Death! We are really but tenants on Earth, Life is indeed a passing phase, ONLY OUR WORKS ON EARTH TO MANKIND, only our works shall keep speaking, only our works shall speak upon our passage.
Learned Silk, a greater Bar you desired, you shall surely be greatly missed. Sleep on Sir, may your kind soul find eternal rest in your owners bosom.”
- Jane Omono Esq.
“I received the news of your demise with rude shock.You changed the impression I had about Senior Advocates because of my encounter with one Senior Advocate while in Law School.
You were so down to earth, an epitome of humility and a fatherly figure to many young lawyers.
Your contributions to the Bar cannot be swept under the carpet.
Indeed,death is no respecter of persons and status, otherwise it would have respected you.
The well positioned and highly respected Bar you dreamt of shall forever remember you.
Though you’re gone, posterity will hear of you for your love towards humanity.
Your night has come, so I say good night Learned Silk. Adieu our Dear Leader. Adieu one of the finest legal practitioners ever born in Rivers state.”
- Ada H.A. Nwafor
“I was struck speechless at the news. I couldn’t help but recall the time, at a Welcome Cocktail of one NBA NEC meeting, when Granville, I & a few other friends were talking about the transportation difficulties of traversing around the country for NEC meetings.
Some of us bemoaned fixing meetings in cities that have no airport, thereby forcing members to suffer through long & stressful road trips. Granville had a different view. He said he preferred road trips & didn’t feel safe in airplanes, particularly local flights. He said that just a little while back, he would first inquire who the pilot was before boarding any local flight, that if the pilot was not a white man, he wouldn’t board that flight. Asked why, he said he didn’t trust the competence of our local pilots. Of course, argument ensued for & against his view. Somebody told Granville that his view was born out of flight phobia & nothing more. Granville surprised all of us by agreeing that he was phobic, but said he had a good reason for it. We asked what reason. He replied that he was a traditional man & had not grown out of some superstitious beliefs of his people. He said that in his village, they believed in re-incarnation, which was why when someone died, his people had this customary practice of carrying the corpse round the village so that the dead man’s spirit would choose the family he would reincarnate into. He said he agreed with that tradition & would want his people to carry his own corpse round when he died, so he could make the same choice. He said this was why he was afraid of flying bcos if the plane crashed into one ocean or some other places where his corpse cannot be recovered, he would have been deprived of the opportunity of choosing which family to reincarnate into, as he would want to ensure that he was not born by lousy parents. The laughter that broke out brought that discussion to a joyous conclusion.
Being completely helpless to retrieve my friend from the cold clutches of death, I can’t but feel some relief that Granville did not die in a plane crash. I can only implore his people to endeavour to grant him this traditional rite he craved; anything that would help give eternal repose to the soul of our departed friend.
Adieu, my friend Granville.”
- Chidi B. Nworka.
