An Emotional Farewell
Nigerians pay their last tribute to Anthony Olufunso Williams, as the slain politician is laid to rest
By Chidiebere Onyemaizu

Late Funsho Williams

Had death not been a one way trip, a journey of no return; and if fervent outpouring of emotion and grief for a loved deceased one are capable of bringing one back to life then the slained Lagos State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial aspirant, Anthony Olufunsho Williams would have by now bidded bye to the unfathomable land of the dead to rejoin members of his distraught family, political associates and sympathisers, who in their thousands during his burial rites – from the wake keep and lying-in-state at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), to the funeral mass at the Catholic Church of Divine Mercy, Lekki and his interment at Victoria Court Cementry – poured out their hearts in grief and mouring for a man whom they said, could not hurt a fly while alive.
Pin-drop silence and a sombre mod enveloped the wake-keep arena which was held on August 9, 2006 as the officiating priest, Reverend Father Dominic Okure, quoting from the Holy Bible brought the finality of death to the fore as he told the emotion struck audience that though, never again would any one physically see and interact with the slained politician here on earth, but that the hope of every Christian is eternal life and therefore expressed the hope that Williams is resting in the bosom of the Lord.
Admonishing politicians, the Catholic cleric, appealed to politicians and other Nigerians to imbibe the culture of respect for human life. “If you aspire for any political office, remember authority comes from God and no one else,” Okure admonished. Extolling Williams' qualities, Reverend Father Okure asked the audience to emulate Williams, saying “during the short-time he lived, he touched the lives of so many people.”
With bowed heads and intermittent cascading of tears down his cheeks, Olabode George, the National Vice Chairman, South of the PDP heart- rending funeral oration, evidently struck at the chord of the audience. In a high pitch but emotional voice, George lamented: “ never once did I imagine I would speak of Funsho in the past tense and even now I feel a stab in my heart every time I do so .... the manner of his death, the barbarity, the savagery, the callouness and the finality have united us in a collective and unmitigated grief...”
Then in a subdued voice, George asked rhetorically, “why would anyone have killed or taken part in a plot to kill Funsho Williams in such a horrendous manner? He was peaceful, humane, amiable and tolerant gentleman. They killed our Funsho, the finest the noblest and the most polished of all men.” George who disclosed that Williams’ entry into PDP brought new zest and vive into the fortunes of the party in the state, waxing philosophical, expressed hope that “however long evil may last, good will overcome in the end. So long as God sits on the throne, so long shall the devil remained vanquished. Here lies our hope and strength.”
Notably, the solemnity of the wake-keep, sharply constrasted with the carnival – like and the frenzy nature of the lying-in-state. At the lying-in-state, thousands of the assassinated politician’s supporters and sympathisers who thronged the venue went into uncontrollable frenzy at the sight of the hearse bearing Williams’ casket. The youth wing of the late politician’s political structure “Williams Campaign Organisation” (Willco), formed a formidable human ring round the hearse and practically hijacked it, thus preventing the casket from being brought down and the body being displayed for public view.
Consequently, the hearse was driven round the TBS before it headed to the Catholic Church of Divine Mercy, Lekki for the requiem mass, amidst uncontrollable wailing by sympathisers, mainly women who were decked in vests, caps and other clothing materials, bearing the late Williams pictures.
Instructively, if curses, casting of aspersions and invectives are capable of causing death, the killer(s) of Williams may as a matter of fact be joining their victim (Williams) soon in the land of the dead. Amidst wailing, many of the mourners ceaselessly rained curses on the killer(s). A certain woman who refused to be consoled, reeled ceaselessly on the bare floor of the TBS, invoking the wrath of the gods on the killer(s), asking the gods to strike dead the killer(s) the moment Williams corpse is lowered into the grave.
Another mourner, who could evidently not find words to express his sorrow and shock held tightly to the hearse, with his head resting firmly on it. Other mourners who also could not find words to verbally express their grief and emotion found solace in written words. Many displayed banners with such inscriptions as “Araba Nla lo ni Ilu Eko, Sun re o”, meaning “A big hero has fallen, sleep well,” “Omolu ma be eko”, meaning “The real son of Lagos”, “Funsho, forever in our minds,” “Uncle Funsho, even in death, you still look handsome.” "Gentleman in Gentlemen is gone,” among others.
A man who was evidently overwhelmed with emotion intermittently starred into the sky, muttering incomprehensible words and at the same time holding tightly to a signboard with the inscription, “My dearest Funsho Williams, my heart is with you. I will look for you in Heaven.”
Apparently yet to come to terms with the final end of Williams' his supporters literarily decorated the arena with freshly printed posters, which advertised the gubernatorial ambition of the slained politician side-by-side with posters announcing his obituary. Curiously, street urchins, popular as Area Boys, also showed solidarity with the Williams family. As a way of mourning and paying tribute to Williams, the Area Boys pasted posters which declared their support for the wife of the slained PDP chieftain for the 2007 gubernatorial race in Lagos. The posters read, “The wish of Area Boys: Mrs. Hilda Williams for Governor in 2007.”
The funeral arena was also not devoid of brisk businesses. Vests, caps, face towels, arm band, et cetera, bearing the pictures of Williams were sold. When The Source asked for the prize of the cap and vest, both, the vendor said, went for N350 – the vest for N250 while the cap N100. Other items such as arm band, face towel, badges bearing the late politician’s pictures were sold for between N100 and N150.
At the reqieum mass, the officiating priest, Reverend Father Mary-Vin Ubili of St. Dominic Catholic Church Yaba, Lagos, urged those mourning the demise of Williams to do so like Christians. Quoting from the scripture, he reminded the congregation of St. Paul’s admonition to Christians that “they should not mourn like those who have no hope.”
In a brief chat with The Source, the Minister of Information during the Abacha regime, Dr. Walter Ofonagoro, regretted the assassination of Williams. Ofonagoro, who is an in-law to the late Williams' by the virtue of his daughter being married to the murdered politician’s son, Babatunde, said Lagos State nay Nigeria had lost a gem in Williams. He said “Williams would have taken Lagos to the promise land.”
Notably, with the exception of the burial rites of the late elder statesman and Nigeria’s first President, Nnamdi Azikiwe and that of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the acclaimed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, M.K.O Abiola, no other burial rite attracted the vast crowd that graced Williams’ final journey to eternity. The thousands of mourners who attended the burial was a veritable testament to the grassroots popularity, as well as goodwill which Williams exuded while alive.
The late PDP gubernatorial aspirant’s tremendous goodwill also accounted for the whoopping N43 million which his friends and associates reportedly contributed to see to his befitting burial. The family of the late Williams had reportedly pegged the burial cost at N17millions but apparently desirous of a befitting burial for the slained politician his friends upped the cost to N43 million.
Williams was murdered by yet-to-be identified persons at his Dophin Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos home on July 27, 2006.