By Egena Sunday Ode
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has, again, showered encomiums on the leader of the Afenifere socio-political group, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, describing him as a steadfast voice for the unity of Nigeria and the dignity of the citizens.
He said the elder statesman has spent most part of his century of life sacrificing his comfort to fight for the under-represented, while lending his voice to causes against oppression.
The President, who stated this on Monday in Akure, the Ondo State capital, during the 100th Birthday celebration of Chief Fasoranti, thanked the elder statesman for his service to education, democracy, and the cause of justice, as well the wisdom he has offered across generations.
Represented at the birthday bash by his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Nigerian leader noted that “to have fought across time for the betterment of one’s people and nation, as Chief Fasoranti has done,” entails bearing scars that become badges of honour.
A statement by the media aide to VP, Stanley Nkwocha, said Shettima also commissioned a landmark flyover project, which was eventually named after the celebrant by the state government.
Paying glowing tribute to the celebrant, the President said, “Chief Fasoranti gave voice to the under-represented and sacrificed his comfort in doing so. He rejected the convenient silence of the privileged and embraced the burden of advocacy, the loneliness of principle, and the risk of standing with those whom society was tempted to ignore.”
President Tinubu noted that people like Pa Fasoranti have stood out in a country where leaders elected to serve the people end up serving their own selfish interests, even as he observed that “when public duty becomes private appetite, the nation is made unsafe for the vulnerable.
“When power forgets compassion, the weak are abandoned to the cold margins of society. This is where people like our celebrant stand out,” he maintained, while acknowledging the centenarian’s uncompromising belief in education.
Having participated in defining the destiny of his people, taking part in their politics and “helping to negotiate their dignity, their rights, and the dividends of citizenship due to them,” the President noted that Pa Fasoranti’s unwavering belief in education also sets him apart.
“He was a teacher in his early years, as he remains a teacher today. In the beginning, he stood in the classroom, shaping the generations that came after his, and now his classroom no longer has walls. His blackboard is now the conscience of the nation,” he said.
President Tinubu recalled Pa Fasoranti’s pursuit of a just and fair system despite threats to his life, stating that “even when the climate of the nation punished dissent, even when democracy seemed like a distant dream pursued by weary men, Baba stood firm.”
