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- Urges Parents To Emulate His Resilience In Bringing To Book Student Killers In Schools
Ben Dunno, Warri
Renowned lawyer and human rights activist, Chief Femi Falana, (SAN), has commended the quest for justice efforts made so far by Mr. Sylvester Oromoni, father of late 12years old, JSS 2 student of Dowen College, Lekki. Lagos, who died as a result of an alleged torture by some senior students who had wanted to initiate him into cult.
The remains of late Sylvester Oromoni Jnr., who passed on November 30, 2021, was finally laid to rest at Ogbe-Ijoh in Warri South Council area, of Delta state, yesterday, after being kept in a mortuary for over 2years, inorder to allow for a thorough investigations into the cause of his death.
It was gathered that the Coroner Inquest set up by Lagos state government which commenced sitting shortly after his demise, had fixed April 12, 2024, as date to tender the report of its findings based on the statements and evidences before it by all the parties involved including the police.
Speaking at the interment service held at the family compound in Ogbe-Ijoh,
Chief Falana, applauded the Oromoni family’s tenacity in seeking justice, just as he urged other parents to take up the responsibility of finding out what led to any sad reports concerning their kids in any school they are attending.
Falana also admonished school authorities to prioritize the welfare and safety of their students to prevent this kind of sad development, adding that such negative developments in schools are usually not in the best interest of the institution’s image.
While acknowledging the fact that the process of seeking justice through legal means sometimes takes a long time to actualize, Falana admitted that what matters most at the end was not to be denied justice.
Falana, who is also the family lawyer at the Coroner Inquest, hinted that the panel had given the notice to deliver its report on April 12, 2024, and they are all waiting for the report to decide their next line of action.
According to him; “In as much as I want to agree that it has taken the Coroner a long time to release its report, you all must accept the fact the wheels of justice grind slowly but we are sure to get there and justice would be delivered, he reassured.
Speaking on the deceased, (Sylvester Oromoni Jnr), Falana noted that there can never be a way to console the Oromoni’s family over the tragic death of their son, he however urged the family to take solace in the fact that the young boy lived an exemplary life even at his age.
According to him; “From what has been said about him (late Sylvester Jr) in his biography, he would be remembered for touching the lives of the family, his school mates and teachers as well as friends in his neighborhood”.
“The short life of Solomon cannot be compared with that of Methuselah. And it is on record that Sylvester Oromoni Jnr., touched the lives of his teachers, friends, fellow students, and we should be reminded and ask ourselves what would you be remembered for after this life.”
“And so, we are not here today to mourn but we are all gathered here to celebrate a great Nigerian whose life was cut short. His short life was so eventful according to his biography that was just read to us now and we take solace in the fact that he had played his role and gone to rest with the Lord”.
“We must try as much as possible to rededicate our lives to God almighty and always ask ourselves the simple question of what people would remember us for when we finally depart this world”.
“I must thank the parents of Sylvester Oromoni Jnr for standing and demanding justice for their son. Let it be known that this fight is not about the death of their son alone but about the lives of other students who maybe confronted with this kind of situation in the future”.
Earlier in his homily, In a sermon preached at the burial ceremony, taken from the book of Isaiah 57:1-2, titled ‘Forever With The Lord’ Ven. Revd. Goodluck Bayagbon of the God’s Grace Ministry, Warri, charged christians to live a life worthy of emulation and strive to be heavenly candidates.
While describing the deceased as a true believer in Christ, the cleric noted that “Sylvester Oromoni Jnr has gone to rest with the Lord and free from all evil and calamity of the world.
“We are not here to weep and mourn over Sylvester but to celebrate a great man, a young man that God almighty loves so much. Sylvester left an indelible mark in the hearts of all men that must be emulated.
“The most important thing about life is that everyone on earth must strive to make heaven because that is a great achievement for everyone, where there is no pain, sorrow, sadness, calamity, worries.
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“Sylvester should be emulated according to his brief biography read to us all. He was a good young boy, who cared so much about his fellow students, friends, sisters, brothers and all those who crossed his path.
“He was diligent and was a devout christian. At his young age he cared for the needs of his fellow students, he was so good both at school and home.
“Though he left very young but he has achieved the purpose of God who created him. We are here to celebrate him not to mourn. At his age, look at the mammoth crowd that came to bid him farewell to heavens.”, the cleric stated.
Also speaking at the event, the President, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS, Comrade Lucky Emonefe, said the student body would no longer tolerate any carelessness on the part of any school management that led to the death of any Nigerian students at any level of the affected student.
He urged the school authorities to be more proactive in ensuring the safety of their pupils and not assume that students are not capable of inflicting harms on themselves, warning that henceforth the students body would be taking decisive action against the school management where such dastardly acts were being perpetrated.
Speaking with newsmen at the venue, the deceased father, Mr. Sylvester Oromoni, expressed the family’s determination to ensure justice not only for their son but for all students who have faced assaults within school premises.
He noted that the decision to bury their son came after confirming that the Lagos State inquiry into the incident was progressing as expected and would soon be releasing their report.
