Thus, racial discrimination or apartheid was abolished in Nigeria. The European hospital in Lagos (now Military Hospital) and European Club at Ikoyi were renamed Creek Hospital and Ikoyi Club respectively. The European hospital at Warri serving the then Central Provinces of Ondo, Benin and Warri, was changed to Maple Annex.
The European hospital at Ibadan was changed to Jericho Nursing Home. Areas otherwise known as European Reservation were renamed Government Reserve Area (GRA). And so on throughout the country. There was general jubilation throughout the country.
Led by Sir Adeyemo and Mr. Omololu, we later went to meet with Sir Arthur at Government House, Marina. Naturally, we expected a hostile reception, but we were widely mistaken. Sir Arthur, undoubtedly tempered by age and maturity and experience, welcomed us warmly, smiled broadly and, turning to Sir Adeyemo, said jokingly something in words like these:
“Sir Adeyemo, I did not make my statement because of your young rascals, who took the law into their hands, but deliberately to preempt an imminent danger. This is the first time that violence has been introduced into the public life of Nigeria, and once it started, it may never recede. I have seen it happen in many countries where I served, in India, Burma and the Caribbean. My statement, therefore, was to prevent violence spreading.”
Apparently, Sir Adeyemo expected us to apologise to Sir Arthur but we never did. The Governor then turned to Sir Adeyemo and asked: “Will you and your friends like to have a drink with me?” Sir Adeyemo thanked the Governor for the invitation but expressed regret that we had no time and had to go.
On our way back to the Island Club, travelling in two cars, all of us somehow began to develop a guilty conscience about what we did at the Bristol Hotel. This was because Sir Arthur, who had the security agencies and the full force of British imperial might behind him, chose to completely disarm us with his charm and unprecedented diplomacy.
At the club, Odunsi was the first to speak. He addressed me and asked me how we could be sure that, in fact, all the white men we attacked at Bristol Hotel supported racial discrimination and the treatment meted to Ivor Cummings? Was it not possible that many of our victims would have disapproved of the treatment? How could we be sure that many of them were not innocent persons who did not even know what happened to Ivor?
We felt thoroughly ashamed that in prosecuting a worthy cause, we might inadvertently have wronged innocent people. We were all convinced that if a similar act of discrimination was re-enacted, we would never yield to violent reaction as we did at Bristol Hotel.
Sir Arthur had taught us, as youths, an enduring lesson – to be responsible and give peace and reason a chance.
I hope next time you are on Alfred Rewane Road and Awolowo Road in Ikoyi, you will remember this story and its inherent lessons.
May the soul of Pa Alfred Rewane continue to rest in peace.
Also, when in 1944 students of King’s College rioted, it was the leading members of the Island Club that quickly marshalled resources and engaged the services of Mr J. E. Alex Taylor who was a very prominent lawyer to rescue the students.
The grouse of the students was that the Boarding House of the college had been taken over by soldiers (the West African Frontier Force) and the students were moved to “Babina House”, at Kakawa Street, Lagos. Hence, every morning the students would march (too much jeering by Queen’s College girls) from Kakawa Street to the Race Course, where their school was located.
Also, one of the teachers (from the West Indies) was alleged to have been molesting some of the students.
The Colonial Government was furious. The Governor was instructed to impose the harshest punishment on the rioting students. Various accounts name late Tony Enahoro and EmekaOjukwu as being involved.
At the end of the day, thirteen students were conscripted into the army and sent off to Burma, where one of them died. Among the survivors were late YondaKolo; Victor Ologundudu; Aderemi. I would also like to share with you the magnificent role played by members of the Island Club in the turbulent years that preceded Nigeria’s Independence on 1st October 1960.
The club was the incubator of vigorous debates, arguments and counter-arguments that would shape the destiny of our nation. What the club did with commendable zeal was to provide a vibrant forum and conducive environment where members regardless of their political association expressed their views freely without rancour or recrimination.
However, there was a nasty jolt when in 1951, late Justice Dadi Onyeama (an old boy of King’s College and ex-Cambridge University)delivered a powerful judgment, not in court, but at the bar of the Island Club.
“Ibo domination of Nigeria is only a matter of time.”
All hell was let loose.
In my capacity as the Father of The Day, it behoves me to remind you that it is a sacred duty which comes with heavy responsibilities. I hope you would all agree that every child needs a father. Indeed, parenting/fatherhood is the most challenging task the Almighty has given to man.
Hence, without belabouring the point we must admit that whatever has become of our nation for better or worse, is largely the outcome of poor parenting or the abdication of duty by fathers to properly guide the next generation so that they could become worthy successors who would adopt the lofty ideal.
“Let us aspire to inspire before we expire.”
According to Johann Schiller (1759 – 1805) “It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons.”
Our harshest critics have delivered a pungent verdict – our nation has lost its way; it has lost the plot. This is truly a cruel turn of events and a sad commentary on the vision of the founding fathers of the Island Club.
I suspect that the reason I was invited to be the “Father of the Day” may not be unconnected with a report on the front page of the “Daily Times” (the foremost newspaper in Nigeria at the time) of December 19, 1956 (exactly sixty – five years ago).
HEADLINE: “Chief J.K Randle to be buried tomorrow”
“In all that “JK” did, he was motivated by his over-riding ideal: inter–racial amity. He used his position as Chairman of many clubs and committees and directed all his energies towards the furtherance of this objective, as exemplified by the (horse) race meeting parties he held in the Governor – General’s stand, where representatives of all races living in Nigeria met on common social ground.
He directed his affection for children with profound wisdom for he felt that by bringing youngsters of mixed (different) races together, as he so often did, they would grow to mature with no consciousness of racial differences.
Many of his cherished ambitions will never come to fruition, but as long as the Island Club, with its fully inter–racial membership stands, it will serve as a memorial to J. K Randle, its Founder and latterly its Chairman”. – Dr, M. A. Majekodunmi.
As we speak, I doubt whether Island Club can boast of many active inter–racial members – British; French; American; Chinese; Italian; German; Japanese; Dutch; Korean; Russian e.t.c.
John Burrow was absolutely right when he declared: “History is a single grand narrative with the present as its terminus.”
Excerpts of an address delivered at the Island Club on 19th December 2021
