The retired Bishop of Osun Diocese, Dr James Popoola, has called on political leaders in Nigeria to learn from the exemplary life of the late Sen. Ayo Fasanmi.
Popoola made the call on Thursday in Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti, at the one-year memorial service held at St John’s Anglican Church, Oye- Ekiti, in honour of the late Fasanmi.
Pa Fasanmi died in 2020 at the age of 94.
The cleric, however, enjoined everyone to join hands with the government to move Nigeria toward the safe harbour of peace and prosperity.
In his tributes at the service, Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti described the late Fasanmi as “a dogged politician who was always full of ideas on how to strengthen democracy in Nigeria”.
According to Fayemi, the late political leader, also demonstrated a strong commitment to the propagation of the ideas of the progressive family.
The governor, who last year named a newly constructed Model College in honour of Fasanmi, said he had served the state and the country without any expectation of personal gains or benefits.
He said the only way to celebrate and honour Fasanmi was to embrace his lifestyle by following the path of decency, integrity, honesty, progress and commitment to the continuous development of humanity.
“Last year, in the heat of COVID-19, we lost papa, and we couldn’t really do the needful in terms of celebrating his life and even, some of his beloved could not join us because of the restrictions of that period.
“This is what has necessitated the family calling on all of us to come down and join them in this memorial service and in celebrating the life of our beloved Papa.
“Yes, the state is glad that we were able to honour papa before he departed, he knew about the school.
He visited the place when it was under construction, but by the time COVID-19 set in he wasn’t able to see the school when it was commissioned.
“But, baba deserved more than that; definitely, because he has served his people without any expectation of personal benefit.
“And the best way to continue to honour him is for us who he tutored and mentored to live on the path of decency, on the path of progress and on the path of focussing on the development of a human personality.
“That is what baba did all his life, and that is what we can do to continue to honour him so that the struggle for the betterment of our people will not be struggling in vain.
“Baba was a courageous politician and he encouraged us to be courageous.
“For him, integrity was not enough, competence was not enough, but the courage of our conviction to speak the truth to power and to do that which is right was what baba represented in many ways,” Fayemi said.
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Earlier, the President of Iye Development Association, Mr Kayode Kupolati, called for the immortalisation of the late Fasanmi through the establishment of a federal institution in the community.
According to Kupolati, this will serve as a recognition of his numerous contributions to the development of the country.
The memorial service had in attendance a former Governor of Osun, Chief Adebisi Akande; former National leader of Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasaronti and the acting National leader of the group, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and other notable leaders of Afenifere.
Others include the Diocesan Bishop of Ekiti Oke, Dr Isaac Olubowale; Head of Service in Osun, Dr Oyebade Gboyega, who represented the Governor of Osun; the Oniye of Iye-Ekiti, Oba Jonathan Adeleye-Oni; Anglican Bishops; priests; members of Afenifere, among other dignitaries.
