The Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture has said that the Commissioner in charge of the ministry, Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka, has oversight functions and supervisory role over the affairs of the J Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History.
The clarification came on Thursday after a viral video on social media showed heated moments between the Commissioner and Qudus Onikeku, the CEO and Creative Director of the multi-billion naira cultural centre cum museum.
There have been counter allegations of near physical assault and insubordination with Onikeku formally writing a letter of complaint to the Board of Trustees of the Centre to, among other things, affirm the autonomy of the Centre and call the Commissioner to order.
However, the statement from the ministry says not only does the Commissioner have supervision over Onikeku and the J Randle Centre, a probe of the incident which happened on Monday had begun.
The statement from the Ministry reads:
“It is imperative to set the records straight and clarify the events that led to the said video.
The Honourable Commissioner for Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka has the statutory responsibility of oversight over all facilities under the Ministry’s purview. In line with this mandate, she embarked on an inspection visit to the J.K. Randle Centre.
During the inspection, it was discovered that the Centre Director, Qudus Onikeku, was illegally operating a canteen within the premises without the knowledge and approval of the Ministry. This prompted Mrs Benson-Awoyinka to question the presence of the establishment and initiated an eviction which the Centre Director violently resisted and had his team attack officials of the Ministry.
The non-state actors who are neither recognized by the Lagos State Government nor authorized to attend the meeting, who accompanied the Center Director, barged in, while he ordered them to record the proceedings. This, the Honourable Commissioner objected to. It must be emphasized that recording any meeting without the consent of the presiding authority is unacceptable and a breach of protocol.
For clarity, Mrs Benson- Awoyinka did not assault anyone, instead a senior female member of her team was physically assaulted by the non- state actors which then escalated as seen in the viral video depicting a totally false narrative. The video posted ostensibly to blackmail her speaks for itself.
The Honourable Commissioner maintained her stance that unauthorized persons should not participate in the meeting or record its discussions, which is in line with standard administrative procedures.
An investigation has been ordered into the occurrence and appropriate actions would be taken.
The Ministry remains committed to upholding transparency, accountability, and the efficient management ofj all its facilities.”
Sitting on the site of the old Pec Repeetory Theatre at Onikan in Lagos, the J Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History was initiated and started by the Akinwunmi Ambode administration in 2016 but was completed and formally opened for operations in 2024 by Governor Banajide Sanwoolu.
With the governor himself as the Chairman, other members of the Board include Tunde Adewale, Polly Alakija, Femi Akinsanya and Rosa Vera Cruz.
The Guardian of London listed it as one of the must-visit global cultural centres in 2025.
