Lets ponder on something to ponder on... Spend a few minutes musing on this. ------- APC in Solidarity with Sylvia Blyden, the SEA By Arnold Akibo Betts (Editor, SENATOR NEWSPAPER) A high powered delegation of APC strongmen spent Saturday 12th April 2014 with Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden, the Special Executive Assistant (SEA) to the President at her residence in Freetown. Dr. Blyden, who was this weekend, slated to be a special guest of honour at the Prosperity Girls Secondary School’s two-days annual Sports in Rotifunk, Moyamba, received a surprise phone call around mid-day, just as she was preparing to leave her residence and head for Mabang ferry. I was with her at her residence as I was part of the delegation slated to spend two days (Saturday and Sunday) in Rotifunk. She had already sent her Advance Team of assistants who were waiting for her delegation to arrive in Rotifunk when she got a phone call. The call was from the APC Chairman of Kono District, Mr. Francis Gbondo and the APC Chairman of Bo District, Mr. Sheiku Sillah. They told her that a cross-section of APC stalwarts, would like to visit her at home this weekend as solidarity for her in light of recent developments especially some comments posted on FACEBOOK by ill-motivated persons. Being a faithful APC party member, Dr. Blyden decided to honour the request from such important district chairmen of the APC. Since the Prosperity School Sports is a two-days event that continues into Sunday, Dr. Blyden phoned up the already eagerly waiting crowd at Rotifunk, Moyamba and explained she would instead be arriving now on Sunday for the last day of the Sports instead of spending the night in Rotifunk as had been initially planned. True to form, at around 5pm several vehicles arrived in a convoy at Dr. Blyden’s residence from various parts of the Provinces. I was present and I saw several APC Chairmen in the visiting entourage of over twenty distinguished Sierra Leone APC stalwarts. The high powered APC delegation was led by the APC Southern Province Chairman and Resident Minister for Southern Province, Hon. Muctarr Conteh who is also the Acting Resident Minister for the Eastern Province. The huge crowd of APC bigwigs who arrived in fullest solidarity at the residence of the SEA this afternoon, included the following District Chairmen :APC KONO DISTRICT CHAIRMAN FRANCIS GBONDO APC KENEMA DISTRICT CHAIRMAN PRINCE KAMARA APC BO DISTRICT CHAIRMAN SHEKU SILLAH APC PUJEHUN DISTRICT CHAIRMAN MOHAMED A.L. DABENI APC BONTHE DISTRICT CHAIRMAN IBRAHIM TUCKER APC MOYAMBA DISTRICT CHAIRMAN HENRY YAGBA BANGURA After welcoming courtesies, Dr. Sylvia Blyden used the chance to show the high powered APC delegation, the scene of where the infamous juju arsenal had landed at her residence last month. Her police bodyguards who were present when the black magic evil arsenal was launched that night, took their time to recreate the scene and explain to the visitors of what happened that night. The State bodyguards explained to the APC Chairmen of the harrowing experience of sitting down and watching an evil black magic juju land with ferocity in their midst from thin air. It was one of the most scary incidents in my life,” OSD Officer Sieh Bangura told the visiting APC Chairmen adding, “We were all seated when this object landed with force like a big breeze brought it in. I tell you sirs, some bodyguards ran at first when we saw those horns landed spinning; before we composed and came back to look closely at it. It was fearful”. Speaking first on behalf of his colleagues, the APC District Chairman for Bo district, condemned the several attacks that they have been observing on the SEA since the day she was appointed by the President. He said they all sat together to discuss the series of terrible attacks on the person of “a wonderful APC asset like Sylvia Blyden” and they have decided that as from now, all of them APC Chairmen present, will ensure they stand in solidarity with her against all forms of unwarranted demeaning of her person. We have been observing this and it has been going on for too long now. It is time for the world to know that the APC appreciates Sylvia Olayinka Blyden and that is why we are here at your residence today,” said long-time APC Strongman Henry Yagba Bangura of Moyamba. Every single APC district chairman present reiterated the same words of support and solidarity with Dr. Blyden.Most poignant of all was the APC Chairman for Kono District who reiterated a recent Invitation extended to Dr. Sylvia Blyden, for her to spend the Easter holidays in Kono. Please our dear sister, come to Kono district and see how much the APC in Kono values you. I know a few Kono people are molesting you and mean bad but do not mind them. They do not speak for Kono people who are decent and civilised people. Those people are just a handful causing problems for decent Kono people. This is the same way they insult even us Kono people inside the district. Every day, they curse at us; even our chiefs and traditional rulers are not spared. They curse at them. Imagine an elderly Kono Statesman like S.R. Kassegbama who is in his eighties now, is being constantly insulted by the same group insulting you. If they can abuse such an old man, who will they not abuse? Even Dr. Komba Kono, one of our best Kono intellectuals, these people abuse him so who will they not abuse? Our sister Diana Konomani who has brought such pride to Kono, has suffered insults untold at the hands of these small handful of noisemakers. These rude people do not represent Kono district. I beg of you my sister. They certainly do not represent the APC in Kono district and that is why I am right here at your house in solidarity with you as a sister we hold in high esteem,” said the APC District Chairman for Kono, Francis Gbondo to loud applause from his colleague APC Chairmen. Responding, Dr. Blyden confirmed that indeed she had been invited by the formidable APC Chairman for Eastern Province and Minister of Local Government, Hon. Diana Finda Konomani-Kabba to spend Easter with the people of Kono next weekend. She however lamented that she had already given her word to another district that she would be spending Easter with them but she promised the APC Kono district chairman that she would soonest be honouring their Invitation extended to her to spend time with the warm people of Kono. Blyden said Konos are mostly warm and friendly and she had “no problems with Konos as a tribe because I can differentiate between the decent Kono people and the ones who are prone to violence and insulting conduct”. She however stated that it is up to Kono district as a whole, to stand firm and not allow “a few stupid people to denigrate the fine image of Kono people that many have built in our minds over the years”. “Your visit to my house today and my subsequent visit to Kono district very, very soon, will send out a strong message to the world that the rude and abrasive Konos are in the minority. In fact, I know they are now on the run,” Sylvia Blyden chuckled. After spending several hours in friendly and fun-filled discussions about the APC in particular and Sierra Leone in general, Dr. Blyden bade goodnight to her distinguished APC guests at around midnight as she prepared to go and rest in order to travel and be at Rotifunk for the finals of the Prosperity Girls School sports. Attached with this update are photographs of Dr. Blyden and her guests at her house. In one of the photos, seated with Dr. Sylvia Blyden on her front porch steps is a smiling Francis Gbondo, the APC Chairman for Kono District as he gave a thumbs up message to the whole world with his sister, Sylvia Olayinka Blyden, by his side.
Posted on: Mon, 14 Apr 2014 08:51:22 +0000
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