Leader of Afenifere, the Pan-Yoruba Social-Political organisation, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, has asked leaders and members to sheathe their swords and work towards the development of the Yoruba race.
Fasoranti, in his speech during the celebration of his 100th year, said his heart desires that Afenifere should come together in the interest of the Yoruba people.
Afenifere is factionalised along Oba Olaitan Oladipupo and Pa Fasoranti. While a faction meets in Osun State, the other faction led by Fasoranti meets in Akure, the Ondo State capital.”
However, Fasoranti said it would be in his interest and the Yoruba race to sheath their swords and work together for the benefit of the race.
He said, “At this moment in our history, my heart desires that Afenifere, the house we built together for the Yoruba people, remains one. A house divided against itself cannot stand.
“Let us put aside differences, forgive one another, and speak with one voice for our people. Unity is our strength, and disunity is our downfall.”
Fasoranti said he has taught his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren that “there is joy in giving “and “hard work doesn’t kill, saying they should continue on that path, to be truthful, be content, and be kind to all.
He added, “To Ondo State and to Nigeria: We must return to values. Let us teach our children discipline again. Let us reward honesty. Let us love one another, irrespective of tribe or tongue. Nigeria will be great if we put service above self.
“At 100, my prayer is simple. I pray for peace in our land. I pray for good leaders. I pray for my family. And I pray that when my time comes, I will meet my Creator in peace, with a clear conscience.”
In his eulogy, the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, said Pa Fasoranti stands out because he has been a long-standing witness to history and because he never watched history from the safety of the pavilion.
According to him, Chief Fasoranti gave voice to the underrepresented and sacrificed his comfort in doing so. He said the Afenifere leader rejected the convenient silence of privilege and embraced the burden of advocacy, the loneliness of principle, and the risk of standing with those whom society was tempted to ignore.
“To uphold a cause for the betterment of one’s people and the nation, as Chief Fasoranti has done, is to bear scars that become badges of honour.
“He witnessed the colonial period of this nation, the dawn of independence, the interruptions of military governments, the pain of truncated democracies, and now our longest experience of constitutional rule.
“Such a life must count in the moral inventory of a nation, especially because he lived through these ages with an unbroken commitment to dispelling oppression in whatever form it appeared.”
