Elder statesman and leader of the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, has praised President Bola Tinubu for what he described as commendable strides in governance, stating that the President has “surpassed” his expectations since assuming office.
Pa Fasoranti made the remark on Thursday when the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Remi Tinubu, paid him a courtesy visit at his residence in Akure, Ondo State.
According to a statement from the First Lady’s media aide, Busola Kukoyi, the 98-year-old elder statesman expressed satisfaction with the direction of the Tinubu administration and offered prayers for the President’s continued guidance and success.
“I am satisfied with what he is doing in Nigeria. Well done,” Pa Fasoranti said, commending both the President and the First Lady for their unwavering commitment to national development.
The First Lady, who noted that the visit was informal, conveyed the President’s warm greetings and acknowledged Pa Fasoranti as a father figure to both herself and President Tinubu. The visit took place during her two-day official trip to Ondo State, during which she launched several health and empowerment initiatives under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).
Earlier in the day, Senator Oluremi Tinubu met with over 60 traditional rulers in the state, led by the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, who represented the Chairman of the Ondo State Council of Obas.
The monarchs praised the President’s performance and the First Lady’s advocacy on health and social issues. They also pledged their support for the Renewed Hope Initiative and declared their backing for President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The First Lady later proceeded to The Dome in Akure, where she officially handed over 10,000 scrubs and 10,000 pairs of crocs to midwives across the South-West geopolitical zone as part of RHI’s healthcare support programme. She also presented a grant of 50 million Naira to the wife of the Ondo State Governor, Mrs Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa, for onward distribution to 1,000 women petty traders under the RHI Small Business Recapitalisation Programme. Two hundred of the beneficiaries also received bales of fabric to support their businesses.
In her keynote address, Senator Tinubu commended the dedication of frontline health workers and encouraged them to engage in continuous training. She stated that the distribution of professional kits was intended to complement the federal government’s retraining programme for 120,000 health workers, noting that nearly 60,000 had completed the training.
The Ondo State Governor, Dr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, expressed gratitude for the various federal interventions in the state, including the upgrade of Adeyemi College of Education to a University of Education and the establishment of an Airforce School in Akure.
Since its inception in 2023, the Renewed Hope Initiative has provided interventions across health, education, economic empowerment, agriculture, and social investment, benefiting families nationwide. The South-West now becomes the fifth geopolitical zone to benefit from the midwife kit distribution.
The event reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to inclusive development and support for vulnerable groups.
