Afenifere leaders and prominent Yoruba stakeholders on Friday called for greater unity among the South-West states and renewed efforts to restructure the country in line with the principles of true federalism.
They made the call at the Pa Reuben Fasoranti Centenary Lecture held at Onikan, Lagos, to celebrate the 100th birthday of the elder statesman and prominent Afenifere leader.
The lecture, organised by Afenifere, had as its lecturers Arch Ayo Ladigbolu and Prof Ropo Sekoni, while the former governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, chaired the occasion.
The event was attended by prominent Yoruba leaders, traditional rulers, politicians, academics, religious leaders and representatives of Afenifere from various states.
In his opening remarks, former Minister of Finance and former Managing Director of Nigerian Merchant Bank, Oba Olu Falae, said Fasoranti was being celebrated not merely for attaining the age of 100 but for the impact he had made throughout his life.
He described Fasoranti as a respected, peaceful and loyal Yoruba leader.
Falae said, “Pa Reuben Fasoranti clocked 100 years in May. We are not here to celebrate longevity. We are here to celebrate impacts.
“Many leaders are respected with fear, but he is respected with love. He is a peaceful, loyal and faithful man. He was a great listener who would listen to everyone’s contributions with interest and respect, a leader who has distinguished himself in his career and public life.
“The aim of this lecture is to inspire leadership and to inspire others to leadership so that they can emulate the virtues of Pa Fasoranti.”
Falae, who also spoke in Yoruba, stressed Fasoranti’s adherence to the philosophy of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
The event opened with prayers led by Pastor Tunde Lemo, alongside prayers offered according to Islamic and Yoruba religious traditions.
Osoba, in his remarks, welcomed members of Afenifere who travelled from different parts of the country to honour Fasoranti.
He described the philosophy of Afenifere as one founded on wishing others well, saying egalitarianism, which promotes equality, was central to Awolowo’s political philosophy and that of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria.
Osoba said Fasoranti represented those ideals through his life and service.
“What is the meaning of Afenifere? It means he who wishes others well or he who wants good for others. Egalitarianism was the philosophy of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. It was also the philosophy of the UPN. The meaning of egalitarianism is equality of all.
“Today, we are celebrating Pa Reuben Fasoranti because this is the ideal by which he lived his life,” he said.
The former governor also traced the evolution of the political movement associated with the progressive tradition, from the Alliance for Democracy to the Action Congress, Action Congress of Nigeria and ultimately the All Progressives Congress.
He said the philosophy of Afenifere was not restricted to the Yoruba people but was applicable to Nigeria as a whole.
According to him, many of the reforms being pursued by the President, Bola Tinubu, including the push for state police and true federalism, were consistent with ideas long advocated by the progressive movement.
Osoba also urged state governors to use increased federal allocations to improve the welfare of Nigerians.
“We can see that since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came to power, no state is owing salaries, their allocations have doubled and tripled. We need to appeal to the governors to use the money to benefit the people,” he added.
Delivering the first lecture, Ladigbolu, a cultural icon and religious leader, examined the importance of Yoruba ethical values, particularly iwa rere (good character) and otito (truth), in rebuilding the country.
Speaking extensively in Yoruba and drawing on poetry, proverbs and traditional songs, Ladigbolu said the restoration of good character was essential to addressing corruption and leadership failures in the country.
He said, “At the heart of Yoruba ethics lies Iwa. In Yoruba philosophy, a person’s worth is not judged by how much money he has but by the content of his character.
“Iwa rere challenges the notion of corruption and places the responsibility of good character on the leaders. History offers an explanation of Awolowo’s greatness. Awo endured because he had character.
“It is that good character that reflects in Pa Fasoranti. It is the good character of a leader that makes him willing to embrace martyrdom for a cause he believes in.
“Chief Awo’s leadership teaches that without character, a leader will not go far. In a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country, it becomes important to possess unity, Iwa rere, good character, and Iwa pele, meekness, to achieve progress and prosperity in Nigeria.”
Ladigbolu also traced the struggles of pro-democracy activists, including the National Democratic Coalition, during the military dictatorship of the late General Sani Abacha.
He said the courage displayed by the activists, many of whom were forced into exile, helped pave the way for the restoration of democracy.
He added that the voice of NADECO had become an important part of the voice of Afenifere.
The second lecture was delivered by Sekoni, who described the Yoruba region as one of Africa’s “Blue Zones”, noting the presence of people who had lived beyond 100 years.
Sekoni said the Yoruba people had benefited from the vision of progressive leaders such as Awolowo, Chief Bola Ige and Chief Adekunle Ajasin, particularly through policies such as free education and free healthcare.
He said the philosophy of Afenifere was rooted in equality and social justice, stressing that the movement should continue to advocate constitutional reforms that would allow the different regions of Nigeria to develop at their own pace.
According to him, Afenifere is synonymous with the progressive tradition represented by the defunct Action Group.
He urged Yoruba leaders not to abandon their advocacy for a better Nigeria.
“NADECO may have helped us to get democracy. Afenifere should help us to get a great constitution for Nigeria, so that all will be truly equal,” he said.
The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, called on governors in the South-West to work together and coordinate their development plans and budgets.
Hamzat said regional cooperation would accelerate development and cited the Lagos Red Line rail project as an example.
“Our Red Line rail in Lagos ends in Ogun State. There is nothing wrong if Ogun State continues from where Lagos ends, and then Ondo and Ekiti can continue also, so that all the Yoruba states can develop at the same rate,” he said.
He also advocated collaboration among the states in agriculture, noting that Lagos could not produce enough paddy to sustain its rice mill without support from neighbouring states.
“We have the largest rice mill in Nigeria located in Lagos State, but it doesn’t produce enough rice because Lagos cannot do it alone. This means that Ondo, Ekiti and Ogun can come in to supply the paddy. They have the land. This can only happen if we plan together,” Hamzat said.
President Bola Tinubu, represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, sent his goodwill message to Fasoranti and the organisers.
Gbajabiamila said the President was grateful for Fasoranti’s contributions to democracy and his counsel over the years.
“I bring good tidings from the President. He thanked the lecturers profusely. He said he learnt a lot from the lectures,” Gbajabiamila said.
Quoting Awolowo, he added, “Pa Awolowo once said, ‘Only the deep can reach into the deep.’ The lectures contain deep meanings.”
Gbajabiamila said Fasoranti’s contribution extended beyond the Yoruba race, stressing that his name would remain in Nigeria’s democratic history.
“Pa Fasoranti is a foremost Yoruba leader. But I must say that Pa Fasoranti’s impact is bigger than the Yoruba race. His name cannot be erased from the history of democracy in Nigeria.
“We appreciate him. The President said I should let him know, for his numerous advice to the President and contributions to democracy.”
He recalled that Fasoranti had once visited the President and expressed gratitude for being alive to witness the emergence of a President from his ethnic group and progressive political tradition.
Ondo State governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; former governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Dr Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo); ex-deputy governor of Osun State, Iyiola Omisore; Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin; Ondo State Attorney-General, Kayode Ajulo; Dr Taiwo Fasoranti; Prof Toyin Ogundipe and other dignitaries attended the event.
The Master of Ceremonies, Yemi, noted that one of the remarkable aspects of the celebration was that Fasoranti was alive to witness the honour being accorded him.
He described the event as a celebration of life rather than a posthumous tribute.
Representatives of Afenifere from Kwara, Kogi, Delta and other states also attended the centenary celebration.
