Sierra Leone children’s affairs minister Sylvia Blyden facing death threats

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 28 January 2017

Despite serious and credible death threats to stop today’s programme, Hon. Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden will at 1:00pm today Saturday, 28th January, 2017, break her silence on the CFN issue live on AY TV and radio, surrounded by children from western area, Kailahun, Kenema, Kono, Bo,  Bonthe, Moyamba, Koinadugu, Tonkolili, Port Loko, Bombali and Kambia

The Hon. Minister has chosen to break her silence to the CHILDREN, through their various elected representatives from all over Sierra Leone.

However, the public is hereby informed that attempts have been made to stop today’s live programme from being aired, including DEATH THREATS by persons who do not want the truth to finally be known.

Last night, a certain public officer who is believed to actually be under indefinite suspension from his job at Legal Aid Board, threatened on record, to stab and kill the Minister should she attempt to speak today. That 5 minutes long audio recording and other audio recordings will be the subject of a Police investigation.

Further, at around 8:30pm last night of Friday January 27th 2017, two persons Mohamed Hunter Conteh from Lunsar and one Kandeh Kamara who are believed to be above 18 years but purporting to be children, were rebuffed after they stormed MSWGCA to accost District CFN Presidents and other elected CFN colleagues who were having dinner.

CFN elected Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Secretary Generals, PROs and executives from Kailahun, Kono, Kenema, Bo, Bonthe, Moyamba, Koinadugu, Bombali, Port Loko, Kambia, Tonkolili, had arrived in company of their chaperones to answer to the invitation of Hon. Blyden.

The only district whose CFN leaders did not turn up is Pujehun.

In outrage at CFN children arriving, taking photos with their Minister and posting them on social media, the two miscreants had stormed the dinner and accosted their colleagues for that. Like on December 28th 2016, Hon. Blyden got the two swiftly removed and taken to the Police where she personally asked the Police to call the parents to go and sign for the two.

At around 1am in the night, a bunch of miscreants physically attacked where the provincial CFN Presidents were lodged and tried to force their way in. Only God knows what would have happened had it not been for armed police officers stationed there.

At 1:15am, a strong Police patrol team had to go to the hotel to disperse those miscreants who had children amongst them.

Several phone calls were made to Hon. Blyden with credible threats recorded that she will be killed today if she comes out to speak on the issue of CFN.

The question now is why should the detractors be upset if the Minister decides to finally speak out?

They have been speaking for almost 6 weeks now without the Minister saying anything!

The CFN national president Paulina Bangura and vp Mohamed Harass Barrie have been invited to be present at today’s LIVE event. They have been offered a chance to speak on the programme which will be a national dialogue chaired by the elected National Secretary General of CFN, Master Hussein Muckson Sesay in the presence of the Chair of the Child’s Rights Coalition of Sierra Leone, Madam Hawa Samai.

It is however worthy to note that both Paulina and Barrie also stormed the ministry yesterday night at around 9:30pm to verbally attack their colleagues from the Provinces. Eye witnesses say they were both also with the thugs who stormed the hotel gates at 1:00am

Finally, the public and parents of all the children slated to attend the dialogue meeting, can be assured that the children are all very safe and have had a healthy breakfast. A very robust Police presence is now protecting MSWGCA premises.

If you have no business at MSWGCA today Saturday January 28th 2017, please do not go there. Journalists who might wish to cover the program are advised to contact their fellow journalist Abdul Malik Bangura for special accreditation. However, if you are not with the special accreditation badge for today’s event, please do not go there.

Thank you and please tune in at exactly 1:00pm to AYV Radio 101.6FM and AYV TV on Channel 33. The event will also be broadcast LIVE around the world on the AYV website of
www.ayvnews.com

This report was sent to the Sierra Leone Telegraph by officials at the Ministry of Social Welfare Gender and Children’s Affairs.  

© MSWGCA

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