Funsho Williams: The man who could have become Lagos Governor, his assassination

Funsho Williams attended the Saint Paul's Catholic school at Ebute Metta and later Saint Gregory's College, Lagos.

In 1968, he studied at the University of Lagos, attaining a degree in civil engineering.

He then went on to attend the New Jersey Institute of Technology for his Master's degree.

In 1974, Williams returned to Nigeria and joined the Lagos State civil service. He spent the next 17 years working on construction projects in Lagos State.

Approximately 70% of the roads and bridges were built under his stewardship. Williams was a Permanent Secretary by the time he left the civil service in 1991.

He went into business, but he shortly returned to public service, as a Lagos state Commissioner under Colonel Olagunsoye Oyinlola's Military Administratorship.

In the mid-1990s, Williams decided to enter into politics in order that he could formulate policy, rather than just carry it out.

He first joined the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP), but after the suspicious death of its leader, General Sani Abacha he moved to the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

After a short time, Williams again switched parties, this time to the People's Democratic Party (PDP). They had won the 2003 elections under the leadership of President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Williams had stood twice before in the Lagos State Governorship (Gubernatorial) election. At the time of his death he was hoping to be nominated as the PDP Gubernatorial candidate for Lagos State.

He had vowed to wrest control of the wealthy state from the Alliance for Democracy.

On July 27, 2006, Funsho Williams was found bound, strangled, and stabbed at his home in Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, an exclusive and wealthy neighbourhood in Lagos.




FI