By Gabriel Dike
Tears flowed freely yesterday as an SSS1 student of Queen’s College, Yaba, Praise Sodipo, who died last week due to the outbreak of diarrhoea in the school was buried in Lagos.
The SSS1 pupil, an orphan, was buried at Atan Cemetery, Yaba at about 11.45am amidst wailing by her relations, classmates and teachers.
Sodipo, died at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja last Thursday. She had been on life support at the Intensive Care Unit after she and others were rushed to the hospital following constant vomiting and stooling.
Early this year, two female boarding students, Vivian Osuinyi and Bithia Itulua, died after they allegedly ate Spaghetti and drank water served in the Refectory by the college cooks.
Meanwhile, Principal of the college, Dr. Bola Are, Chairman, Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Dr. John Ofobike and President, Old Girls Association, Dr. Fransce Ajose, were absent at the burial, but Daily Sun learnt they were invited by the Lagos State Government for a crucial meeting on the findings of health experts’ report which investigated the disease.
Sodipo, whose remains were brought into the cemetery in a green Toyota ambulance KJA 78 CH was lowered into the grave at about 11.45am.
When Daily Sun approached some staff of the college, they declined to speak but some parents, who witnessed the burial, described the death of Sodipo as an avoided tragedy.
Daily Sun learnt that the absence of the college principal, PTA chairman and president of old girls association at the burial of Sodipo was due to an invitation by the Lagos state government for the trio to meet with state health officials over the situation in the school.
The Lagos state government on Tuesday insisted that the college must remain closed based on the findings by health experts which investigated the outbreak of diarrhoea and discovered that the water in the college was contaminated.