Notable activist and top legal practitioner, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), indeed has a true wife in Funmi Falana. She just fits into that maxim, ‘behind any successful man, there is a woman.’ Simple in looks but tough within, she fought her way through a polygamous home to the ivory tower, where she became a lecturer after studying Physics and then Law. In this interview with Paul Ukpabio, Mrs Falana reveals how true love and romance could inspire the success of a marriage through the trying period of a family, in the struggle for people’s emancipation through the practice of law.
‘While others go to parties to unwind, I party with Christ in church’
Looking back, can you recall a reflection of your early days in your present life?
I was brought up in a polygamous setting where it was believed that everyone had to aspire to the top. We grew up knowing that we had to compete between ourselves to be the best in the family. That indeed helped me later in life to aspire and be the best in whatever I do. It has been part of my life since then.
Your father had two wives?
(Laughs) It was a polygamous family with many children. And my early life was in several places not just in one place. But I am from Ondo state, Akure precisely. I attended St Louis Girls Grammar School, I studied Physics at the university; thereafter I read Law and went on to the Masters level and taught briefly at the University of Lagos before i came finally to active private law practice.
Why did you decide to go into private practice?
At that time, my husband had been in private practice. He was becoming more involved in the defence of human rights and was always in and out of prisons and the chambers was neglected and suffering. So I also discovered that it would be a better idea to leave the civil service and the university, to take up the management of the chambers because he was always in and out of the prison and the military regime was around then and he was being picked up incessantly. I needed to usually be at the chambers to take care of the place and ensure that the place was still running as a business office. I had to also combine that with taking care of the children.
What motivated you into studying law, since you were already in the science line?
I actually studied sciences and also worked in UNESCO for some time before I got married to a lawyer. Fortunately for me too, I am from a home where there also existed legal practitioners. Though I did not really think before then that I would one day go into the legal profession since I was in the sciences.
But at a point in life, I suddenly realised that I needed the instrument of the law for the defence of the masses and also to press for my rights when I discovered the way the society was treating the masses and also the way that my husband was being picked up here and there. So I decided that I must also join in the struggle for the emancipation of the Nigerian people. I felt I needed such an instrument of law to fight for the right of the Nigerian people as well as for my own right as well as that of my family.
You mean you were already a full-grown adult when you went back to school to study law?
Oh yes, I was. I was married with children (laughs).
How did you cope?
Usually, when you are a science student, you can always cope in every field because you are already used to long reading time. I love reading. What would have been a problem and which was actually a problem was that while I was in school, I also had to contend with looking for, and searching for where my husband was, as the military government was always picking him up. It was a problem that was added to my being in school, taking care of the children, taking care of the home and then taking care of the office. But I thank God who saw me through.
How do you describe that period?
(Sighs) It was a difficult period. I managed to handle the situation at that time because, I also knew that it was a struggle for the emancipation of the Nigerian people. It was a struggle that was worth fighting for. Despite the fact that it was not easy, I sailed through.
How about class work, attendance and your academics?
Luckily and interestingly, I was one of those who came out of the school with good result. At the Law School, I had second class upper division in a particular year that there was no First Class. Only about five of us had that second class upper in that set.
You would actually expect that I couldn’t have had enough time for studies. Even at that time, my friends abandoned me because i didn’t have time for them and they were always complaining that I was not the only one with excuses that my husband had been picked up. So I had little time to concentrate on my academics. But God was on my side.
So you joined your husband in private practice, how has it been so far?
It has been wonderful. Like I keep telling people that when a business is ‘our business’, it is fun because, there is a higher level of commitment. When I was not working in the chambers, there was no one to see to the active management of the chambers. But since I came in, there has been a big difference.
Like I also tell people, your husband is the best business partner that you can ever have. That is because, both of you can carry the management of the office into your private lives, into the home, into the bedroom, into the dining place, into everywhere. you keep discussing, always having time to rub minds on issues about the office. So it is better when it is ‘our business’ than when it is ‘their business’.
Do you just handle the administration of the chambers alone or you go to court as well?
Oh, I am a lawyer, so I do go to the court as well. It is Falana and Falana Chambers, the chamber is ours. However, before I became a lawyer, it was Femi Falana Chambers, but about 20 years ago when I became a lawyer, we changed it to Falana and Falana Chambers. To God be the Glory, today, we have vibrant offices in Abuja, Ekiti and the one here in Lagos.
Still, how do you cope?
We have lawyers working with us and I move around the offices to ensure things are working well. I do cope especially with this era of internet and good communication network. When the need arises, we can send messages online, pass instructions, correct whatever is needed to be corrected online, ensure files and court process information that need to be attended to, are well attended to.
Since you are always on the move, how do you cope with the children?
My children are adults now; they are grown up and married. I don’t have that particular problem again. Our last born has even finished studying for her Master’s degree.
Is any of your children in the legal profession too?
Yes, two of our children are lawyers. But right now, they are not working in the chambers. It is usually better to go and learn and build up elsewhere before coming into the chambers. That is because if they come straight here into their parent’s chambers, they will be seeing themselves as owners, but when they go out and get the rudiments of training, pick up their skill and discipline, then they can come and join.
But you joined the law firm from the top
Yes, but at that time, I was already an adult. I knew what I wanted, I was a mother, the owner and I knew what I wanted to do. But they were just starting out in life after school. They need to go grasp the rudiments of practice and then come and join us.
Thank God, your husband is not going to prisons these days
Oh, he has paid his dues, though he is still very involved in the struggle of emancipation of the Nigerian citizen. I know you understand that, though there are democratic structures in the country now, we still need to do a lot about human rights. And in terms of managing the democracy that we now have in our hands, he is still running around, putting the politicians and the government on their toes. Most times, he is usually in Abuja, where we also have an office. We share the management activities. Sometimes if I have to go for cases in Abuja, he stays in Lagos. And same goes to the chamber we run in Ekiti state.
Do you do more of litigation?
Yes, we do more of litigation. I go to court. We actually do more of litigation, though we also do corporate practice. But we are more known for litigation.
Are you personally into activism?
I have an NGO that defends the rights of women and children. I have a television programme too on the same issues to sensitise the public on the rights of children and women. The NGO is called ‘Women Empowerment and Legal Aid.’ We also have a rehabilitation centre where we take people to. On a daily basis, we attend to about eight or nine women coming to give reports of one domestic violence or another.
We are also in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs; we have been able to do some work for them to simplify the laws of domestic violence. We put the laws in a simple way for the ordinary citizen to understand. They also send people here for legal advice. Lagos State has a home for rehabilitating victims of domestic violence and because we partner with them, when we have victims, we send them to the home. They keep them for about three months, enough time to rehabilitate them before they return home.
Do you think domestic violence is on the decrease?
It is unfortunate because it is on the increase. When you talk of domestic violence, it is not a respecter of class. Recently, we had the story of a former governor that ended up beating his wife while abroad and he was arrested. Also, the story of an ambassador that beat up his wife some time ago, and he had to be recalled back home: Then again, a traditional ruler who did the same thing in Western Nigeria. So it is not limited to a particular class or race. It happens in civilised countries and they wage war against it.
It is something that will continue for many years. So we are in here to fight against violence in the society, not just violence but rape too which has continued to increase in the society. There are children who are being molested, raped. These are issues that are connected with the developing society. It is a phase. We need to wage war against these ills in the society.
It is increasing. Before now, people were not reporting rape because of stigmatisation but with a lot of publicity, it is now different. That I believe will continue to curb this terrible ill in the society. It will also deter those who may want to do such. We have also been teaching women to teach their girls how to comport themselves in the presence of the opposite sex and to note a dangerous man. It is usually read in the behaviour and disposition of the man.
How about the immodesty of the ladies on the issue of rape?
I disagree when people say ladies dress immodestly. Men too dress immodestly, are they raped? I see men sag their trousers, men who open their chest, leave their buttons open, why don’t they get raped? I think it has to do with chauvinism and discrimination against women and they think that women are instruments and articles to be molested. It has nothing to do with the way of dressing. However, albeit, we also encourage women to dress decently and comport themselves as responsible ladies in the society.
How about socials, do lawyers do socials?
Lawyers do socials. It depends on the individuals. For me, I may not do a lot of socials but I do take time to rest when I am on vacation. My socials are usually in the church. But there are lawyers who go to parties too, but I am not much of a party person. I party with Christ in the church. I do a lot of dancing, singing and praying in church. You need to see me dance in church.
When are you happiest?
I am happy when I am in church, when I am communicating with my God.
Let’s talk about your style and your fashion
I am not a fashion person like that because I am a lawyer, I am most often in black and white. But when I am not in court, I prefer to wear bright colours. Since our uniform is black and white, I usually want to get away from the normal black and white thing, so I wear yellow and such bright colours.
It’s obvious you like fashion accessories since you are presently adorned with them. So what fashion accessories do you not do without?
(Thought for a brief moment) There is nothing that I cannot do without. I put on accessories when I think that I should. But sometimes, I do not even remember to put them on and at such times, I still move on with my life.
How do you describe yourself?
The eye sees not itself but by reflection. I am not the person to see myself, it’s people to tell me what they think of me. So I see myself from what people tell me that I am. If I say this is what I am, it could be a subjective judgment of me.
What does success mean to you?
Success to me means having a relationship with God and affecting positively the lives of people around you. So I think that one should think he or she has succeeded if the person has been able to touch lives. It is also when many people can raise up their hands and say that they have benefited from the legacy and life that you impacted to them. And that is what I aspire to do every day. I am actually at my happiest when I have been able to touch somebody’s life, when I put a smile, joy and laughter in the life of such person. It gladdens my heart when I do that because at that point I feel fulfilled. I feel God has given me the opportunity to do such and I feel really happy about doing it.
It couldn’t have been easy to cross from one profession to another and still excel in the new profession or what do you think?
It is the Lord’s doing; again, the study of law after physics is not so difficult because Lord Denning, a great legal luminary, was also a science student before he moved into law.
Your most memorable holiday?
I do take holidays regularly. One is always different from the other. I spend them as God wants me to spend them. We have had quite a number of holidays, usually memorable.
Coming from a multiple marriage background, do you think polygamy should still be tenable in a modern society?
(Suddenly alarmed) It is a terrible thing! Would you as a man want to go for it? It is a situation that one should not wish one’s enemy. No matter how successful a polygamous home is, it can never be a happy home. It cannot, because God did not ordain polygamy. Otherwise, when God created Adam, He would have created two women for him. When God was ordaining marriage, He ordained a man and a woman. That is why only Eve was created. Else God would have said, ‘Let us make women for him.’ But He didn’t say so.
It’s not every day that one meets a woman who works under the same roof and within the same organisation with her husband, how has your marriage been over the years?
(Relaxes and laughs heartily) I thank God for my marriage. My husband has been my friend, my lover, my partner, my brother, my best friend and a colleague. That is why it has also been easy to work with him. I cannot stop telling people that your husband is the best person to work with to ensure proper marriage because God said the wife should be a ‘helper and a partner’. A help-mate is your better half. It is when you are married to your friend, your brother, your partner, your confidante that you can say you have a marriage. It is also then that you can work together as partners and enjoy it. There is no stranger then because everything both of you do, is ‘our thing’ it is the best thing that can happen.
Working with one’s husband as a partner in the same business is the best thing that can happen to the marriage because it helps in managing the finances of the couple because the money is ‘our money.’ You know women are more meticulous and are better managers when it comes to money management. When you as a man keep your business away from your wife or you put a line between your business and your wife’s business, separating things, marriage becomes difficult. But when you put a sense of belonging between both, it becomes ‘our thing,’ ‘our business’, a signal of total commitment between the two of you.
Was it love at first sight?
The marriage has been over 30 years. I can only say that it was something designed by God. And that is why we are still together till today.
What do you like about your husband?
(She laughed, re-adjusted herself; obviously this was her best mood throughout the interview) I love a lot of things about my husband, most especially because he is a compassionate person. He usually wants to touch people’s lives and see them being happy people. He is most often at his best when people around him are happy.
Between teaching law and private practice, what’s the difference?
Teaching law is telling the students about what the law is on paper, while the other one is the practical aspect. There are so many things you teach the students that go beyond what you see in practice. When we teach them, we let them know that you go beyond practice. But of course it is what we teach that we speak in the court room. But you need to perform in the practical aspects.
Which do you enjoy most?
Naturally I love teaching but I enjoy the practice more than teaching.
