Lagos Directs Dowen College to Fix Administrative Lapses

Funmi Ogundare

The Lagos State Ministry of Education has directed the management of Dowen College, Lekki, to correct identified lapses in its administration as discovered during the ministry’s inspection and comprehensive investigation following the death of a student, Sylvester Oromoni.

The Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo in a statement made available to THISDAY clarified the fate of Dowen College students in view of the resumption of schools for the second term in Lagos State.
She said her office was reviewing the operational guidelines of boarding schools and the requirement for establishing a boarding school in the state.

The ministry was reacting to the advice of the Directorate of Public Prosecution ( DPP) to the police that Oromoni’s death could not be linked to alleged bullying.
Adefisayo who expressed her sympathy to the family of late Sylvester prayed that the Lord will comfort them, adding that the ministry will begin the revalidation of all existing boarding school facilities after the mid-term holidays.
The Commissioner said the Ministry’s departments and agencies responsible for monitoring and inspection of schools were being overhauled to improve efficiency.
“Dowen College management has been mandated to fix school governance gaps and other regulatory issues. ‘We will consider the possibility of reopening the school only when all issues surrounding school administration have been appropriately attended to,’’ the commissioner said.
Meanwhile, members of the Ijaw Youth Council gathered in front of Dowen College, Lagos, to demand justice for late Sylvester Oromoni who is from the Ijaw-speaking tribe in Delta State.

The protest comes after the Lagos state government exonerated five students and staff of the school arrested over the death of late Sylvester.

Protesting members of the Ijaw Youth Council, Lagos state chapter, promised to occupy the college if the Lagos state government opens the college stating that ”justice has not been delivered” for the death of their son, Sylvester Oromoni.

A leader of the protesting youths who spoke to journalists as they staged a protest in front of the school said, “we are here today to express our anger and grievances with the fake and corrupt report released by the Lagos state Director of the Department of Public Prosecution that this school where cultists are being trained and recruited, that the five people that killed our son without trial, without concluded investigation, cleared this school to open.

“If they open this school, the whole Ijaw nation will come to this school. Let them try us and see”

The Ijaw youths thereafter, offered prayers of vengeance in front of the college and called on Sylvester’s spirit to arise and ensure he gets justice.