Yoruba leaders, others celebrate Fasoranti at 100

Eminent Nigerians, on Tuesday, paid tribute to the leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, for his selfless service to Yorubaland and the nation at large, as he celebrates his 100th birthday.

This formed part of their submissions at the special centenary in honour of Pa Reuben Fasoranti, with the theme, “A Centenary Of Witness: Yoruba Political Culture, Leadership And The Conscience,” organised by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission, held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

They described him as the custodian of Yoruba culture and a symbol of unity among different ethnic groups in Nigeria.

In his speech, a chieftain of Afenifere, Femi Okunrounmu, said the name of Pa Fasoranti suggests a practical and firm person.

He said, “If you look back to the history of Afenifere, you will see how Afenifere came to build the rule for the purpose of communicating with the people of Yorubaland. Pa Fasoranti is one of the founding fathers with Baba Awolowo and other notable figures in Yorubaland.

“Baba Fasoroti was in the midst of it all when the welfare and interest of the ordinary people formed the basis of governance contrary to what we are witnessing today.

“I am not too sure if anybody sitting in this hall belongs to their generation because I want to contend that we are almost now, in this generation, where public service is being taken as a call to the table to partake in the feast.

“There is a sharp difference between the generation of Pa Fasoroti because they are defined by service, progressive welfarism of the ordinary citizens.”

Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof Kayode Adebowale, described him as a working conscience and a proud alumnus of the institution.

He said, “It is a profound honour that I stand before you today. I specifically thank the DAWN Commission in the Development of Western Nigeria for considering this Yoruba historical conversation and for dedicating this edition for a living memory. The University of Ibadan has always been more than a collection of buildings. It is relieving, a briefing of Nigeria’s hope.

“A few living persons embodied that pattern as completely as a man we celebrated today. Baba Fasoroti at 100 years to be a Centenarian in the Yoruba worldview is to be an “Agba”, one who has seen the dawn of many mornings and witnessed the fading of many people, but to be Pa Fasoroti is to be something rare.

“A working conscience and a proud alumnus of this our great university, the University of Ibadan. It is significant that we celebrate a man who has earned a degree in English and Geography. In every role, the University of Ibadan stands as an invisible, analytical figure, moral clarities and commitment to the truth as a vice chancellor, I speak for our entire student body, our academic and non-academic staff.

“A Yoruba historical conversation is a strategic memory. It is the act of asking, where have we come from, so that we may know where we are going

“By honouring p/Pa Fasoroti, DAWN Commission reminds us that development is not only about roles and infrastructure, though those matter deeply, development is also about values, it’s about ‘iwa” “character’, it is also about the men and women whose lives have become the moral compass for organising this edition,” he explained.

In her remarks, the Chairman of African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, Ambassador Olatokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu, who led other speakers at the event, said Pa Fasoranti gave it all in his service to humanity.

She said Pa Fasoranti is committed to the growth of the community and the nation at large.

The chairman said, “Pa Fasoranti neither demanded nor asked for anything but gave it all for the growth of the country.”

In his lecture, a Professor of History at the University of Lagos, Ayodeji Olukoju, said there is a need for a return to the character-driven leadership of Nigeria’s First Republic as a remedy for today’s governance failures.

He argued that looking back at the 1950s and the Second Republic before 1983 reveals a time when public officials governed with restraint, discipline and a sense of duty to the community.

The don explained that good leadership begins with the individual and the values instilled at home and through education.

Olukoju pointed to leaders of the First Republic who entered office and left without enriching themselves, citing examples of public figures who maintained the same modest lifestyle after their term.

He said, “These men were not without flaws, but they had received an education that shaped their character and discipline, not merely provided certification.”

Earlier, the Director-General of the DAWN Commission, Seye Oyeleye, said the gathering was convened both to mark Pa Fasoranti’s 100th birthday and to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Yoruba Historical Conversation series, which began in 2016 with Prof Bolanle Awe as its first guest lecturer.

He said the occasion was intended as more than a tribute, describing it as an opportunity to reflect on Yoruba history, its reconstruction, and the lessons it holds for contemporary societal development.

Oyeleye argued that Fasoranti had not only witnessed the Western Region’s golden era of development but had actively shaped it and embodied its values, urging those present to consider what part they themselves had played in shaping the region’s political behaviour and belief in the Nigerian project.

The DG said, “Fasoranti had built a career grounded in education and public service, rising from teacher to principal and founding institutions such as Omolere Nursery and Primary School and Akure High School that had moulded generations of leaders.”

Oyeleye added that Fasoranti had also resisted successive military regimes, particularly the Abacha dictatorship, surviving assassination attempts and other persecutions in the struggle for democracy, and suggested that his life should serve as a mirror for the present electioneering period in the South-West.