Reuben Famuyide Fasoranti: The avatar at 94

By Sola Ebiseni

Studying him so closely, I have ever been amazed at his mysterious combination of both inner peace, strength of character and a disarming mien to pilot the affairs of the Afenifere, the Yoruba socio-political organisation, which position has enduringly symbolized the Yoruba view, among the constituent Nigerian ethnic nationalities.

Pa Reuben Famuyide Fasoranti, a disciple and apostle of  Awolowo, a teacher of teachers, who saw it all in the Nigerian educational sector, being Principal of many Government Secondary Schools, including the prestigious Olivet High School, Oyo where he retired with laurels.  Baba has thus been as highly successful in his chosen career as an educationist, as he is in politics.

In politics, he has been, inter alia, one of the founding fathers of the Ondo Province Movement, which struggled for the successful creation of the old Ondo State in 1976, which he later served as its Commissioner for Finance of its first civilian administration under another sage, Adekunle Ajasin. In addition, leadership of the Afenifere is, above all, a doubtless most engaging and tasking political venture.

Even in retirement from public service, Pa Fasoranti has made a great success of his private Omolere Nursery  and Primary School, and the Secondary School,  St Frances Academy. As a direct beneficiary of his toils over several generations, I bear testimony that my own children, yet produced by his school, St Frances Academy, find pride of place in Law and Medical Sciences.

With his stoic character, he has borne with uncanny equanimity, vicissitudes of life, which he hadn’t in short supply.

Like his most supportive colleague in the Afenifere leadership and ideologically combative Pa Ayo Adebanjo, who also celebrated his 92nd birthday recently, they always remind us, in the Group’s meeting,  that they already have their tickets, boarding passes, and merely waiting at the Departure Lounge. Our prayers is that the pilot may still be engaged and delayed at other airports for long.

Happy birthday, Papa.