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MY CAREER TRAJECTORY SHOWS I AM READY AND QUALIFIED TO REPRESENT ONDO CENTRAL SENATORIAL DISTRICT – TAIWO FASORANTI
Dr. Taiwo Fasoranti is the immediate past Secretary to Ondo State Government and has also served as Chairman of Hospitals’ Management Board. He recently secured the APC ticket to contest the central senatorial election next year.
In this interview, the medical practitioner speaks on his vision and chances as the elections approach.
Excerpts:
Question: Recently, you joined the race for the Ondo Central Senatorial District. What informed your decision?
Answer: I’m a very deep thinker, and I think a lot of people were surprised when they saw me declaring for the seat of Ondo Central District. What informed my decision? A couple of things informed that. I was raised and brought up in this environment, not known to a lot of people. And I speak three local dialects very well. I speak Akure, Ondo, and Owo. So, that tells you a lot about me, that I’m engraved to this society.
And having worked in this environment at the top level, I was Chairman of the Ondo State Hospitals’ Management Board (HMB), at some point, I became the Secretary to the Ondo State Government (SSG). The positions opened my eyes to a lot of things in this community. Believe it or not, as the Chairman of HMB, I was able to travel the length and breadth of the state to look at the communities that we live in, and as the SSG, who is the Chief Scribe of the state, I was exposed to a lot of things – administratively and politically.
So, I was able to marry all these things together to look at the deficiencies that we have in our communities, and I realised that there have to be solutions to these things, and why would I have to wait? Why not now? If you have to take a step, the journey of a thousand miles starts with taking the first step. The first step in solving those problems is what I decided to do. It was a matter of conviction, being able to position myself to say, I can solve these problems.
I have seen these problems. I know where these problems are coming from and I know the solutions that could provide to these problems. Basically, that’s about it. Those are the reasons I decided to say, now is the time that the opportunity has presented itself to step it out there and try to provide solutions to those problems.
Question: So, why should you be preferred over your opponents in the contest?
Answer: Now let’s look at it from this point of view. Why should I be preferred over my opponent? I will not look at the record of my opponent. Let’s look at me. Let’s look at what I brought to the table. What I can bring to the table. 15 years as a senior civil servant and as a clinical physician at the top level of governance in the country. I was a physician in the villa. I lived in Abuja for 15 years. I made friends in the legislative area, civil service and corporate world. So I have friends and acquaintances everywhere.
These are resources I intend to tap into to bring the needed development to Ondo Central Senatorial District. You know, you can say, ” Leave my opponent out of it. Just look at me from the merit of what I have done as a doctor, as a civil servant, as an administrator, and as a community person.
That’s what I want my record to be based on, and let people decide and say, look, from what you’ve done, I think we can trust you to go to the Senate, work in Abuja, use your resources to bring the needed help that we need in the central district.
Let me tell you. Politics, to me, is not an emotional contest. Let’s take it out of the way. Put it aside. Politics and service to the people should be based on your need and your conviction about what you want to bring to the table to the people.
What I am bringing to the table is what I feel convinced about that needs to be done to make sure that the Ondo Central Senatorial District enjoys to the fullest the benefits of democracy.
Let me tell you, we have gone around and even visited all these local governments. Ondo West, Ondo East, Akure South, Akure North, Ifedore, Idanre, and we were received. Interestingly, when I visited Ondo, and I spoke the local dialect, so many people didn’t believe. They were surprised. Guess what? My late mother was nee Awosika, and her late mother was a Faseun. So, if you go to Ondo and mention those two names, they will take you to those houses, and I can be proud of my heritage, and I will tell you this.
This house, where we grew up in, the Ligua Franca is in the Ondo dialect. Why? My dad went to Ondo Boys High School. He speaks Ondo very fluently, and my mom, during her lifetime, spoke Ondo to us very frequently. And so that’s how we communicated entirely. The videos are out there for you to see. Akure South and Akure North, we met the communities, we met the leaders. We were well-received.
Question: But don’t you think this contest can pitch the two families against each other?
Answer: No. There’s no animosity between Adegbonmire and myself. As I said, we’re not in this contest to ‘fight a war.’ We are in this contest to showcase what we can bring to our people. You see, we need to debunk this feeling that it’s a do or die affair. I must sit there. If it’s not me, it’s nobody else. No, let’s forget about that. Believe it or not, I know I’m capable. I know I’m qualified with my experience-wise, academic-wise, I’m very qualified, socially, I think I’m qualified too. And I think I have enough in the bank to bring the needed benefits of democracy to the Ondo Central Senatorial District.
Question: What are your key programmes for the people, particularly in education, healthcare, and infrastructure?
Answer: Let me tell you that as a child of history who grew up in the period of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. You know, the four cardinal programmes of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN)? The school of thought where I also believe that every individual deserves access to quality education. You know every individual deserves access to quality and prompt health care. Right? Those are two key things.
And I also believe that all our youths deserve the opportunity to be educated and employed after being educated, and I also believe that we need access to the rural areas. Rural integration is very important to the development of our economy, and finally, I would also want to focus on legislation that will help us secure our communities. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said it openly that he is in support of State Police, and in our dear Ondo State, we have Amotekun. A lot of work is ongoing to be able to make sure that the communities are safe.
Question: What would you do differently as a senator if given the chance to represent the people of Ondo Central Senatorial District?
Answer: I’m going to help promote legislation that addresses the issue of education. You see, where we have missed it is where our legislators go to Abuja, collect constituency funds, and then, when it’s time to give back. They just wake up one day, and they start buying a motorcycle (Okada or Keke Napep) in the name of empowerment. Empower our people, educate our people, our children, make sure there is employment for them to be gainfully employed, and make sure that they are healthy by scaling up your health care development programs, and make sure that our farmers in the rural areas have access to bring their wares out there so that people can access them.
Governance is very simple. We don’t need to make it complicated. Oh, Dr Fasoranti, four years from now, when you look back, what have you done? I want people to say that during his time as the Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he reached across with some of his colleagues in the Senate to propose a bill that ensures that an average Nigerian has access to good quality education, an average Nigerian has access to good health care, a Nigerian who is a youth is gainfully employed, and an average Nigerian can wake up in the morning and say, I’m safe, I live in my community, I can wake up in the morning and go out, I will not be afraid of anything. Those are the key areas that I’m going to focus on.
Question: People would ask you, with your former positions, what you have done with them?
Answer: I’m not that kind of person. It’s unfortunate, and that’s why they call me a technocrat. All you need to do is go to HMB and ask about what I did while I was there. How was I able to help people secure employment? The records are there. I am not the type that keeps a record of the goods that I do, but I know that at anytime I wake up in the morning, I must help one or two people. I must help somebody. Now, when I say help, it’s not about giving your hand, take money.
It’s, let’s look at your qualifications. Where can you fit in? Let’s see if we can get you scholarships, go to school, because I tell my people that my goal is to make sure that all our great children, sons and daughters get educated and not fall out of the radar because I noticed that at some point, finances become an issue.
That’s why I want to thank the Governor of Ondo State, Dr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, for what he has done for our students. Our students are on scholarships. I’ve worked with those students personally. Some are on bursaries, and they collect their scholarships.
Doctors, medical, nursing, pharmacists. The records are there. We’ve submitted names, and they’ve been able to pay and go to school. Personally, out of my own pocket, I know what I’ve done. I always say to people, ” Don’t tell people what I’ve done. Just go, and what you owe me is to finish school and then take care of your family. The welfare of the people is utmost to me, but I really don’t believe in singing the praises of what I’ve done to people. I don’t think anybody can tell you that, as SSG or as HMB Chairman, I did not impact lives. I don’t think they can tell you that. It’s out there.
Question: Has your father’s name opened doors for you ahead of this primary?
Answer: Absolutely. I’m proud to say that, because he is my heritage. Would I say because Pa Fasoranti is my father, I won’t take up responsibility for power? It shows that I am not a bastard if I’m proud that Baba Fasoranti is my father, will people question me for that? I’m proud that I have a father who didn’t spoil that name for us. There are some people who can’t even mention their fathers’ names.
There’s nowhere I go, and I mention that I’m Dr Taiwo, that I will get the same response, the kind of response I get, if I introduce myself as Dr Taiwo Fasoranti. They will look at me again. They will ask if it’s the same Fasoranti. They will be happy, but I didn’t allow that to get into my head. That’s what has been responsible for what you’re currently seeing today. I studied medicine to the level where I became a consultant, and that’s the highest level in medicine, and I’m proud of that. Would I say because I’m Fasoranti, I should be ashamed of myself? No. The name Fasoranti thus opens doors, but it does not have anything to do with what I have accomplished so far.
Question: What lessons have you learned from your father’s leadership style?
Answer: My parents brought us up in a way that if you have ten things in your hands, keep two and share the remaining eight with strangers. It had been my philosophy in life, and people around me know me too well. I believe that if God has blessed you with something and you can’t bless other people, then it’s a curse.
Look at Baba’s lineage; we were all raised in this house. We were all living in this house in 1979, and as much as God has blessed us, we have tried to rebuild the house, but Baba will say no and don’t touch my house. So, we have to realise that it is the way he wants to live and we left him alone.
Welfarist, Baba is a kind man and a very disciplinarian. He would never raise his voice at you. All he would do is just look at you, and you would have to sit tight. That look is enough, and his words are not many. He speaks in little words that are pregnant with meaning. Even at the age of 100, there are people who seek Baba’s blessings, and he pays people’s school fees up till now. I will ask him, how much are you making, he would reply that he has a pension and that I should leave him.
So, I am going to keep that and also run with it. Be helpful to people. Ensure that the resources God has blessed you with, you share them with people. It is also good to live your life as if there’s no tomorrow and ask what you want to be remembered for tomorrow. So, those are the philosophies.
I have been fortunate to have worked with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who I believe has the best women programme in this country. You see the Commissioner for Women’s Affairs, Dr Seun Osamaye, who is doing a lot in that area, and they have many programmes for the women with empowerment. That is what I also intend to key into. If you empower a woman, you empower a nation. Welfare of women, empowerment of the youths would be key for me.
Question: Is this ambition a step towards a future governorship bid?
Answer: Well, only God knows tomorrow, but it is what we have at hand that we want to focus on and which is to become the next Senator for the Ondo Central Senatorial District. We shall leave the rest to God because he knows tomorrow. I don’t believe in calculating or playing chess. Only God knows tomorrow. Right now, my focus is to represent my people in Ondo Central Senatorial District at the Red Chamber so that people can be proud of me.
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