The Man call Funso Williams

Engr. Funsho Williams (1948-2006)

Omoluabi Eko

Anthony Olufunsho Williams was born on May 9, 1948

Education

Funsho attended St. Paul's Catholic school, Ebute Metta and later St Gregory's College, Lagos.

In 1968, he studied at the University of Lagos, attaining a degree in civil engineering. He then went on to New Jersey Institute of Technology for his Master's degree.

Civil_service_career

In 1974, he 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.

Williams held directorships in several companies such as  Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Cappa and D'Alberto Plc, Ajaokuta Steel Company and was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Maritime Authority.

Political_career

He participated in the transition program of late Gen. Sanni Abacha joining the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP), he was the leading governorship candidate in the state and woulda  have become governor if not for Abacha's death.

In 1998, he joined the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and was the leading candidate until Asiwaju Tinubu returned from exile. He was persuaded to step down and work for the party which he did. This gesture and his other qualities of a honesty, integrity, calmness and trustworthy earn him the name 'Omoluabi Eko'

For the 2003 general election, Williams moved to PDP but was defeated by Asiwaju Tinubu.

His_end_is_here

He was hoping to be nominated as the PDP Gubernatorial candidate for Lagos State in 2007 and had vowed to wrest power from ruling party in the state.

Death

On July 27, 2006, Funsho Williams was found bound, strangled, and stabbed in several parts of his body at his home in Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi despite having police officers&security guards guiding him. He was on the victims of the politically motivated killings riffed in the country then joining the likes of chief Bola I've, Dipo Dina, Daramola and others.

what_happened_after_his_death

On July 28, 2006, two people were arrested in connection with his death. One was his campaign manager, and several politicians especially those hoping to be the PDP Gubernatorial candidate in the state. They were all questioned over his death.

His_alleged_killers_were_freed

In june 2014, A Lagos High Court on Monday discharged and acquitted the six men charged with the murder of Funsho Williams. Sergeant Imariabe Ikponmwose, Bulama Kolo, Musa Maina, David Cassidy, Tunani Sonoma and Mustapha Kayode were all freed of the charges!

The judge said: “The prosecution failed to produce the call log of the communication in court and also failed to show that the mobile phone found with those guy actually belonged to Williams.”

He_was_immortalized

On February 26, 2007, the then Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in honor of the late iconic character, renamed the longest and the popular Western Avenue highway in Lagos to Funsho William Avenue.

May his soul continue to rest in peace