LASG ASSURES LAGOSIANS OF SPEEDY COMPLETION OF J. RANDLE CENTRE
... As Government Officials Pay Inspection Visit to Centre
Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, has said that the Government is eager to complete the ongoing re-construction of J. Randle Centre, a proposed one-stop Centre for Tourism and Cultural activities, located in Onikan on Lagos Island.
The Commissioner spoke during a recent on-the-spot assessment of construction works, alongside the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Princess Adenike Adedoyin-Ajayi, as well as other principal officials of the Ministry.
Akinbile-Yussuf said: "We are here to inspect this huge project that has been embarked upon by the State Government. I am glad to report that we met the contractor and the consultants at the site trying to ensure the quick delivery of this project".
While underscoring the commitment of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to the project, the Commissioner disclosed that Mr. Governor recently led a delegation to the United Kingdom to firm up arrangements for the completion of the J. Randle Centre.
Her words: "A few weeks ago, we were in the United Kingdom with Mr. Governor in relation to the Phase II of this project, which is actually going on well. The completion stage of this phase is well over 80 per cent and I am confident that this project will be delivered by early 2022”.
“The J. Randle Centre is where history is going to be unveiled again in Lagos State and for Africa as a whole, being the first-of-its-kind in Africa. We want members of the Public to visit this site and see the history and the beautiful culture of the Yoruba and their heritage", the Commissioner averred.
She explained that the second phase of the J. Randle Centre is the technology part, the museum, the artefacts and everything that has to do with the content, adding that the Centre will bring to memory, the way the Yorubas lived in the past, portray the present and also explain what will become of the Yoruba race in few decades.
On her part, the Permanent Secretary, Princess Adenike Adedoyin-Ajayi, disclosed that the State Government has concluded arrangements to repatriate some historical artworks and artefacts, among others, that are of historical value to the Yoruba race from the United Kingdom.
"When all of these artefacts are brought back here, one of the things that will be of great attraction is the fact that there is a museum in place that we can put these artworks and take ownership of as Yorubas", the Permanent Secretary said.
Dr John Kehinde "JK" Randle was born in Sierra Leone in 1855. His father, Thomas Randle, was a liberated slave from Oyo, who had settled in Freetown. He later moved to Lagos. John Randle attended the CMS Grammar School in Freetown, Sierra Leone, before working as a dispenser in the colonial hospital. He saved enough money that enabled him to attend the University of Edinburgh in Scotland between 1884 and 1888, graduating with a gold medal in materia medica. Randle and his fellow-student Obadiah Johnson obtained positions in 1889 as Assistant Colonial Surgeons in the Lagos Colonial Hospital. At the same time, Randle practiced privately, treating most of the European traders of Lagos, particularly the Germans.
In November 1890 Randle married Victoria Matilda Davies, the daughter of the famous and wealthy Captain James Pinson Labulo Davies and Sarah Forbes Bonetta, Queen Victoria's god-daughter. Queen Victoria had given Matilda Davies the name Victoria at her christening, had bestowed an allowance of £40 for life and had given her a solid gold christening set. The queen donated the material for Matilda's wedding gown.
Randle resigned from the Colonial Service in 1892. He was angry that as an African he was given about half the salary of a European with the same training, and that he was being required to serve as a doctor in locations far from Lagos. Gilbert Thomas Carter, Governor of Lagos in 1891–97, said of his resignation, "My past experience of native doctors ... does not encourage me to place much faith in their aptitude for this profession..." Randle withdrew his resignation, but asked for an increase in salary to £500 per year. Randle was dismissed from the service in September 1893 for his persistent refusal to make tours of duty to the British military outpost at Ijebu Ode. He devoted himself to private medical practice, in which he was highly successful. He served patients from all levels of society, providing free treatment to the poor. Randle was successful in treating yellow fever and guinea worm infestation.
Dr Randle grew wealthy, acquired a lot of land in Lagos and had a significant shareholding in the Bank of British West Africa (now First Bank Nigeria). He was one of the famous "Victorian Gentlemen" of Lagos (in the late 1800s and early 1900s). He even went as far as ordering his food from England!
He was one of the leaders of the idea that an African Church needed to be created. A lot of Nigerian priests had received advanced formal education in the late 1800s, but this did not translate into senior positions for them. Some African priests had complained, but they were suspended on basically, racist grounds. In 1890 Randle was a member of a committee that invited the pan-Africanist educator, journalist and politician Edward Wilmot Blyden (a Liberian) to Lagos to support them in their dispute over the Niger Mission. On 2 January 1891, at a meeting attended by Governor Cornelius Alfred Moloney, Blyden proposed an independent African Church with Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther as its head. (An African Church was eventually established in 1901 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_African_Church).
Although Herbert Macaulay's Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) was the first political party in Nigeria, many political associations had existed long before the NNDP was created in 1922. These associations were created to promote certain causes and fight for certain rights, rather than to contest elections. Dr JK Randle became active in politics and the governor of the Colony of Lagos, Sir William MacGregor, made him a provisional member of the Legislative Council in 1899. Dr JK Randle, along with other notable and legendary Lagosians like Dr Orisadipe Obasa, Sir Kitoye Ajasa, Sir Adeyemo Alakija and Dr Richard Akinwande Savage formed The People's Union, a political association, in 1908.
In my personal opinion, the main problem that the People's Union had was that it was not radical enough for Lagosians. It actually fought against some of the policies of the Colonial Government, but it did not go as far as Lagosians would have liked.
For example, the People's Union fought against the water rate that was proposed by the Colonial Government. The government had planned to tax Lagosians and to use the revenue to build the Iju Waterworks. Many Lagosians, especially traditional Lagosians, felt that the new waterworks would be primarily used by the Europeans and therefore the Europeans should pay for it. The traditional Lagosians were satisfied with the water that they bought from Da Rocha and with the many wells that were dug across the city. When the government insisted on imposing the water rate, the traditional Lagosians, led by the Oba of Lagos, Eshugbayi Eleko, staged a mass protest that led to a riot.
In contrast, although the educated elite, led by the People's Union, opposed the water rate, their reason for opposing it was that there should be no taxation without representation (this was similar to the demand of the American independence agitators). They demanded that the government should conduct elections, so that Lagosians would have a say in how their tax money was being used, only then would they accept the water rate (traditional Lagosians were not ready to accept the water rate for any reason). The educated elite, led by the People's Union, later capitulated when they were threatened by the government (Lord Lugard brought back the idea of the water rate and threatened the members of the People's Union with charges of sedition and threats of agitation).
The members of the People's Union also fought against the proposal by Lord Lugard to convert all land in Nigeria to government property. They toured Yorubaland and even went to London to campaign against the proposal. The government subsequently dropped the idea.
The People's Union waned during World War 1 and Dr Randle and Dr Obasa formed the Reform Club after the war. The Reform Club took an interest in politics and education and seemed to be a continuation of the People's Union.
Herbert Macaulay formed the Nigerian National Democratic Party in 1922 and Governor Sir Hugh Clifford instituted elections in Lagos in 1923 and in response to these activities, the People's Union was revived. However, as I said earlier, it was not radical enough for Lagosians. Herbert Macaulay and his NNDP vigorously challenged the policies of the Colonial Government, while the People's Union advocated for gradual change. The people of Lagos loved Macaulay very much.
The pool and garden
However, our main concern in this piece is the major contributions and donations that Dr JK Randle made to Lagos.
Dr Randle lived in the Marina area of Lagos (you might remember that I told you that Europeans and wealthy Lagosians lived on the Marina before the Onikoyi gave the Europeans land on which they built a European settlement in Ikoyi). He could see as Lagosians were being ferried from the Island to the Mainland and vice versa in boats (which were the main means of transport at the time). Every so often there would be a mishap and a boat would capsize and people would die. Dr Randle felt that the situation could be improved if Lagosians were taught how to swim. He wrote several letters to the Colonial Government, urging them to build a public swimming where Lagosians would be taught how to swim, but his letters were ignored.
Dr Randle then decided to do the task himself. He built a public swimming pool in the Onikan area of Lagos and handed it over to the Lagos Town Council to run. He went as far as donating money for the maintenance of the pool. That pool is the famous Onikan Swimming Pool.
Dr Randle also felt that ordinary Lagosians should have a park where they can relax in the evenings. The park and beach at the Marina was mainly used by Europeans and he wanted somewhere that indigenous Lagosians could relax. He therefore built the famous Randle Love Garden near the pool and handed it over to the council to run.
Dr Randle also made huge donations to several communities across West Africa. In 1920 he was appointed one of the vice-patrons of the Sierra Leonean Friendly Society of Lagos. He built a chapel and two schools in his birth town of Regent, and contributed funds to erect a science building at Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone and to support science teaching there. He donated his medical and scientific books and journals to Fourah Bay College, and donated money for a professorship and medical scholarships.
Dr John Kehinde "JK" Randle passed away on February 27th, 1928 at the age of 73. He was buried at the rear of the Ikoyi Cemetery, but in 1940 his remains were moved to the front of the cemetery as a gesture to acknowledge his achievements. JK Randle Road, Onikan (between Tafawa Balewa Square and State House Marina) is named after him.
naptu2: Chief Joseph Kosoniola "JK" Randle (MVO MBE)
Chief J.K. Randle was the son of Dr J.K.Randle. He was born in 1909 and he attended CMS Grammar School and King's College Lagos. He was a keen sportsman in school and loved playing cricket and football. He was also the first captain of the Zik Athletic Club.
His father died while he was in his final year at King's College and although he was the son of a wealthy man, most of his father's wealth was willed to charity. Therefore his dream of attending a university became financially infeasible. He worked as a clerk in Lagos before moving to Ilesha to try his luck at gold mining. He was unsuccessful. He returned to Lagos and got involved in the business world, where he finally found success.
Chief J.K. Randle donated huge sums of money to schools in Lagos. He donated millions of naira (in today's money) each to colleges and organisations. Though he was a Christian, two Muslim schools – Ahmadiyya College, Agege and Ansarudeen College, Isolo as well as a Catholic school – Holy Cross Primary School, Lagos all benefited from his philanthropist gesture. Chief Randle founded the Nigerian arm of the Anti-Tuberculosis Society and he was also involved in politics as a member of the Lagos Town Council.
He held the chieftaincy title of the Lisa of Lagos. It was given to him by the Oba of Lagos, Oba Adeniji Adele. He was also a founding member and later chairman of the Island club. A sports enthusiast, he was vice president of the Nigerian Olympic and British Empire and Commonwealth Games Association and a trustee of the proposed National Stadium at Surulere. He was also the chairman of the Lagos Race Club (horse racing was very popular in Lagos at the time). Randle was the Chef de Mission of the Nigerian Olympic team to the 1956 Summer Olympics. He was awarded the medal of the Victorian Order. He took ill on his flight from Melbourne, and later died at the Lagos General Hospital in December, 1956. Randle Avenue, Surulere was named after him.
J.K. Randle Memorial Hall
The Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, was distraught at the news of Chief Randle's death. He decided that something must be done to immortalise him. He secured a piece of land opposite the Prime Minister's Residence (between the residence and the JK Randle Swimming Pool and Garden) and people donated money to build the Randle Memorial Hall. It was used for performing plays and staging cultural shows. Akin Euba, Adelugba, Prof. J.P. Clark etc. and members of the schools of Drama Arts in Ibadan, Ile Ife and Lagos were regular users of the Randle Hall. In fact, J.P. Clark had resident Ghanaian actors there for several years.
Bashorun JK Randle is the son of Chief JK Randle and the grandson of Dr JK Randle. He is married to Mrs Folashade Randle (nee Lawson), the daughter of Chief Adeyemi Lawson. She is the little girl that presented a bouquet of flowers to Queen Elizabeth II when she visited Nigeria in 1956.
Bashorun Randle said that his father told him, when he was 10 years old, that he should not expect any inheritance from him. His father said that all he owed him was a first class education, a first class reputation and a good family name. His father tried to clarify matters somewhat by explaining that those who would take over power in Lagos in particular (and Nigeria in general) are likely to emerge from an entirely different background. According to him, it is only through education that they too would be exposed to opportunities in order to enable them to excel. Anything short of that would be recipe for resentment, envy and vindictiveness. His father died 2 years later, just a few days before Bashorun JK Randle's 13th birthday.
Bashorun JK Randle attended Kings College Lagos before going to the United Kingdom to study accountancy. He said that he only fully understood his father's advice when he got to the UK. His grandfather was the only black person that lived on the Marina in Lagos and his father was very wealthy, so in Lagos he lived like a king, but in the UK he was a nobody and it was his education that saw him through.
Bashorun JK Randle worked at KPMG in Nigeria and he retired as the chairman and chief executive of the company. He also served as the president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), chairman of the board of Eko Hotels Limited, pro-chancellor and chairman of the governing council of the Lagos State University (LASU), vice chairman of the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) and he has also served on the boards of numerous other companies. He currently serves as the chairman/chief executive officer of J.K. Randle and Co. Chartered Accountants and Sloane Buford and Fulbright Management Consultants, Lagos.
Bashorun JK Randle, like his father and grandfather, has also dabbled into politics. He was the candidate of the Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP) for the governorship of Lagos in the 2011 elections. He spent most of his time at the 2011 governorship debate condemning the ACN led government of the state for destroying Lagos. When the moderator finally got him to talk about the things that he would do if he was elected governor (rather than condemning the ACN), the then Lagos State governor, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola replied that the problem with Bashorun Randle was not his age (JK Randle was the oldest of the contestants), but the age of his ideas. This reply angered JK Randle very much.
He is a prolific writer and is well known for his famous toasts and speeches. He was awarded the national honour of Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) by President Goodluck Jonathan. Two of his children are also named JK Randle.
naptu2: There was an uproar in 2016 when the Lagos State Government demolished the JK Randle Memorial Hall, the JK Randle Swimming Pool and the JK Randle Garden. Remember that this was around the same time that the famous Ilojo Bar was demolished. Lagosians complained that the government was erasing Lagos' history. Many people blamed Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, while some said that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu wanted to steal the land. Many famous and older Lagosians condemned the government in the media. The demolished sites consisted of the Chief J.K. Randle Memorial Hall, Dr. J.K. Randle Swimming Pool and Dr J.K. Randle Love Garden.
However, it later emerged that the government wanted to rebuild the place. Governor Ambode wanted to turn Onikan into a tourist haven and so he planned to rebuild the Onikan Stadium, to take over State House Marina and turn it and Lagos House into museums, to assist the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club to rebuild their stadium, to work with the National Museum to revamp their place and to rebuild the JK Randle Centre. The new JK Randle Centre will have indoor and outdoor tennis courts, a swimming pool, a youth centre, an exhibition hall, a multi-purpose hall, a library, orientation rooms and learning spaces, gift shops, and a lounge. I'm still not sure which of the JK Randles it will be named after.
These pictures of the project were posted by the Lagos State Government around 6 months ago.
Good. Make them sha make am affordable for middle class. So we can be chilling out there. That name J Randle sounds familiar..king of boys movie sitting gov name.
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Globalhustler: Good. Make them sha make am affordable for middle class. So we can be chilling out there. That name J Randle sounds familiar..king of boys movie sitting gov name.
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The design is good, but the execution is a bit tacky! Doesn't look like a building that wik stand the test of time. If this was being built in US, the Europe or Middle East, it would be far more solid.
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