Yoruba leaders unite to celebrate Fasoranti at 100, call for renewed regional cohesion
Yoruba leaders from diverse backgrounds on Tuesday set aside their differences to honour elder statesman and Afenifere leader Pa Reuben Fasoranti as he marked his centenary. The tribute was delivered
Yoruba leaders from diverse backgrounds on Tuesday set aside their differences to honour elder statesman and Afenifere leader Pa Reuben Fasoranti as he marked his centenary.
The tribute was delivered at a special edition of the Yoruba Historical Conversation organised by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission in Ibadan.
The event, themed “A Century of Witness: Yoruba political, cultural leadership and the conscience of a nation,” drew participants from academia, socio-cultural organisations, research institutions, youth groups and the Fasoranti family.
Speakers used the occasion to commend the nonagenarian’s legacy while calling for a more united, stronger and coordinated Yoruba front in the interest of the region and the country.
Fasoranti was represented by his son, Dr Taiwo Fasoranti, alongside grandchildren Sike Omoseyin and Mrs Oyinda Olakunrin.
Delivering the keynote lecture, University Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Lagos, Ayodeji Olukoju, advocated a return to value-driven leadership reminiscent of Nigeria’s First Republic as a pathway to addressing contemporary governance challenges.
He noted that the 1950s and the pre-1983 era were marked by restraint, discipline and a strong sense of public duty, contrasting sharply with what he described as a shift towards personal enrichment in public office.
Olukoju stressed that leadership quality is rooted in personal values shaped at home and through education, arguing that earlier leaders left office without amassing personal wealth, guided by discipline and a sense of responsibility.
Drawing lessons from Singapore, he highlighted how discipline and a firm stance against corruption transformed the country into a prosperous nation, urging Nigerian leaders to prioritise projects with long-term public value.
He also called for deeper regional collaboration among South-West states, suggesting joint investments in infrastructure such as roads, dams and integrated transport systems to drive development.
The don further emphasised the need for subnational governments to maintain constructive engagement with the Federal Government to ensure access to resources and opportunities.
He urged citizens to embrace ethical leadership in their respective spheres, stressing the importance of instilling cultural values and identity in younger generations.
In goodwill messages, speakers described Fasoranti as a symbol of unity, a custodian of Yoruba culture and a leader whose service to humanity remains exemplary.
Chairman of African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, Dr Olatokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu, said the elder statesman devoted his life to serving his community and the nation without seeking personal gain.
Also speaking, Afenifere chieftain, Senator Femi Okunrounmu, described Fasoranti as a principled and steadfast leader whose legacy continues to inspire.
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 Fasoroti 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 interests 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, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, described Pa Fasoroti as a working conscience and a proud alumnus of the University of Ibadan.
"It is a profound honour that I stand before you today. I specifically thank the Don Commission in the development of Western Nigeria for considering this Yoruba historical conversation and for dedicating this edition to 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 100years 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.
"He’s not a noisy alumnus. His name will be carved not only in marble but in a very character of our nation. In a region that is blessed in history and burdened in expectation, it takes courage to convey a conversation like this.
"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", he said.
Welcoming the guests earlier, the Director-General, DAWN Commission, Dr 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 (YHC) series, which began in 2016 with Professor Bolanle Awe as its first guest lecturer.
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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 held 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.
According to the DG, 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.
He noted that Fasoranti had later served as Commissioner of Finance in Ondo State under Pa Adekunle Ajasin from 1979 to 1983, and that throughout his political life in the Action Group and the UPN he had upheld the Omoluabi ethos of principled governance.
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 Southwest.
He disclosed that the event was meant to provoke questions about the state of political culture in the region and about how decisions on resource distribution were affecting development.
He called on Southwest states to pay greater attention to geriatric care, warning that the collapse of traditional family structures had left elders without adequate support, stressing that caring for elders was both a cultural responsibility and a safeguard for dignity in later life.
The highpoint of the event was the cutting of the birthday cake and the presentation of a plaque to the guest lecturer.
