Brigadier-General Mobolaji Olufunso Johnson, the first military governor of Lagos State, has passed on. He was aged 83. .
News of his demise was broken, Wednesday evening, to the press by his son, Deji.
Following the January 15, 1966 coup that terminated the First Republic, the then Minitary Head of State and Supreme Commander of the Armed Fforces, Major General G.T.U Aguiyi-Ironsi appointed Brig-Gen. Johnson as administrator the former federal territory of Lagos.
Prior to settling for Johnson, Ironsi had wanted a Lagos indigene to handle some of the problems confronting the then of the federal territory.
When Lagos State was created in May 1967, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, who succeeded Ironsi, after the counter-coup of July 1966, appointed Johnson as the first governor of Lagos State.
The new state comprised of the old Federal Territory of Victoria Island, Ikoyi, and Lagos Island, in addition to Epe, Badagry, Ikorodu and Ikeja divisions.
To Johnson’s credit, it was his administration that developed Lagos State civil service. He ran the state with key civil servants like Adeyemi-Bero (Administrative Secretary), Folarin Coker (Finance Secretary), and Howson Wright (acting secretary to the Military Government). He waited till April 1968 before appointing his commissioners.
