Gone But Not Forgotten: Family Announces Memorial Service For Late Olympics Chief J.K Randle

The family of Chief J.K. Randle has announced a memorial service for the late Olympics leader.

Eko Hot Blog reports that the family of late Chief J.K. Randle MBE, MVO Lisa of Lagos, is remembering him 66 years after his death.

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Chief Randle died at the age of forty-seven years on 17th December 1956 shortly after he returned from Melbourne, Australia where he was the Chef-De-Mission of the Nigerian team at the Olympic Games.

The Annual Thanksgiving and Memorial Service for the late Olympics official will hold at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 17, 2022, at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos.

The service will witness special prayers for the abducted Chibok girls who would have been in captivity for 8 years, 8 months and 3 days on that day. The secondary school students were abducted on April 14, 2014.

“The sacrifices of the soldiers/security forces and the tragedy of victims of insurgency will also merit prayers,” a family statement said.

Meanwhile, Chief Randle led the Nigerian Olympic team to the 1956 Summer Olympics.

The 10 athletes on the trip were captain and 100m and long jump athlete, K.A.B. Olowu; R.A. Oluwo, a pole vault athlete; J.O. Chigbolu, V.O. Gabriel, E.A. Ajado, 100m and 4x100m relay; T.A. Erinle, T. Obi, A.K. Amu, P. Esiri and former Attorney-General (of the Cameroons which was then part of Nigeria), P.B. Enigo.

The athletes participated in the triple and long jump events of the 1956 Games.

The accompanying officials were Chief Randle (Chef-De-Mission), A.A. Ordia (coach), J.A. Enyeazu (assistant coach) and Arthur Cooper, Nigerian Attache, Melbourne.

Following the demise of Alhaji K. A. B. Olowu on 14th August, 2019, all members of the team have died.

Chief Randle was also the Chairman of Lagos Island Club and the Lagos Racing (Horse Racing) Club as well as a member of Lagos Town Council and member of the Lagos Executive Development Board.

He was a businessman, politician, philanthropist and outstanding all round sportsman (cricket, football, boxing, athletics etc).

While still a student at King’s College, the Olympics veteran played cricket at the international level as a member of the Nigerian team against Ghana (then known as Gold Coast) in 1929 and scored a century.

As if that wasn’t enough, Chief Randle was also an undefeated champion at draughts.

He belonged to a generation of Nigerians whose influence cut across ethnicity, religion, race or whatever.

Several streets are named after Chief J.K. Randle in Lagos, Apapa and Surulere. Also, the Chief J.K. Randle Memorial Hall at Onikan, Lagos was built in his memory.

Furthermore, Randle Secondary School, Apapa and Randle General Hospital, Surulere, Lagos are named after him. He has bequeathed a huge legacy of goodwill and sportsmanship.

Chief Randle was passionate about Lagos and Nigeria in addition to being stoutly against racial discrimination, ethnic jingoism and religious intolerance. Some of the beneficiaries of his philanthropy are two Christian schools and two Moslem schools:

(i) Holy Cross Primary School, Lagos
(ii) CMS Grammar School, Bariga, Lagos
(iii) Ansaru-deen College, Isolo, Lagos
(iv) Ahmadiyya College, Agege.

The late sportsman was the School Captain (1928/1929) at King’s College, Lagos.

He was a legend in his lifetime and an enduring inspiration for ever and ever.

Chief Randle is survived by Mrs. I.M. Adelaja and Bashorun J.K. Randle, a past president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Lagos State University as well as former Chairman of KPMG Africa in addition to being Chairman and Chief Executive of KPMG Nigeria.

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His favourite music was (melodious/satirical) SAKARA.

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