First governor of Lagos is dead

Mobolaji Olufunso Johnson, a retired Nigerian army brigadier-general and the first governor of Lagos state, is dead.

Family sources told TheCable that Johnson died on Wednesday around 4pm.

He served as governor of Lagos between May 1967 and July 1975 during the military regime of Yakubu Gowon.

He became a director of construction giant, Julius Berger Nigeria in 1979 and its chairman in 1996; a post he held until 2009.

He was aged 83.

Johnson was appointed as the military administrator of Lagos state in 1966 by Aguiyi Ironsi, who was the head of state at that time.

He became governor in 1967 and his tenure was credited for carrying out major construction work and laying the plan for the state.

The war veteran was also instrumental in developing the civil service in Lagos state.

He was compulsorily retired in 1975 by now-deceased Murtala Mohammed during the latter’s tenure as head of state.

His wife, Funmi, died in 2016.

His father hailed from Abeokuta in Ogun state and was a member of the Royal West African Frontier Force during World War II.

His grandfather’s last name was previously Osholero but he changed it to Johnson after the priest who converted him to Christianity.

– The Cable