THE annual thanksgiving and memorial service for the late Lisa of Lagos, Chief J.K. Randle, will hold on Monday at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos at 2 p.m.
He died on December 17, 1956 at 47 years, after returning from Melbourne, Australia.
He was the Chief-de-Mission of the Nigerian Olympic Team to Melbourne and the captain of the team was Alhaji K.A.B. Olowu.
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, the late E.A. Ajado, 100m and 4x100m relay; T.A. Erinle, T. Obi, A.K. Amu, P. Esiri (deceased) and former Attorney-General, P.B. Enigo, who participated in the triple and long jump events of the 1956 games.
The accompanying officials, all deceased, were Randle (Chef-De-Mission), A.A. Ordia (coach), J.A. Enyeazu (assistant coach) and Arthur Cooper, Nigerian Attache, Melbourne.
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, draughts and others).
As a student at King’s College, he 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.
Special prayers will also be offered for the abducted Chibok girls, who would have been in captivity for over four years on that day, sacrifices of the soldiers/security forces and the victims of insurgency.
Randle belonged to a generation of Nigerians whose influence cut across ethnicity, religion, race or whatever.
He is survived by Mrs. I.M. Adelaja and Bashorun J.K. Randle, a past president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Lagos State University.
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