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Sylvia Blyden Dot Com
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Sierra Leone.
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COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Bloody Saturday is a Public Relations Disaster for Sierra Leone!
As Muhammad Ali, the greatest sports man in the 20th century, celebrated his 70th birthday on Tuesday January 17, 2012, the boxing legend’s glittering life juggled the memories of many around the world. And what thrilled his adoring fans most was his brilliant quotations over the years! “A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life,” was among the most adorable quotes made by Muhammad Ali as it stood the test of time. It fascinates me too! True to Muhammad Ali, there are still few Sierra Leoneans who have sadly wasted many years of their lives, thus, being disservice to Sierra Leone’s progress!
Feb 2, 2012, 17:00
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Who Owns Kidnap Jeep AFQ 968?
Last Saturday January 28th 2012, I was told, on condition of anonymity, by senior police officers at Masiaka that persons from the SLPP Headquarters in Freetown had phoned Masiaka to tell them the green jeep with number AFQ 968 belongs to SLPP Presidential Candidate Julius Maada Bio. I asked the police officers if they had seen the documents (license & insurance) for the vehicle stating the owner to be Bio and they responded in the negative. They however insisted that they were sure because Maada Bio himself had personally phoned the Masiaka Police over the issue of the vehicle and requested that the vehicle be released by the Police as he was the owner.
Jan 31, 2012, 17:19
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Shears-Moses Report & Section 149 of the Constitution
After I published my article in support of the SLPP’s recent registration grouse with Dr. Christiana Thorpe, I yesterday got largest number of congratulatory messages from SLPP members in the longest possible time. There was however a persistence on many SLPP callers yesterday for me to also handle the issue of Section 149 of the National Constitution viz-a-viz the 'leaked' Shears-Moses Report, in the same way in which I had handled Sections 17 and 19 of the Electoral Laws Act. Today, let me explain why I had refused to comment on the so-called ‘leaked report’. A source very much involved in the preparation of the Shears-Moses Report had informed me that the version which was ‘leaked’ out was the wrong version.
Jan 26, 2012, 17:10
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
In Sierra Leone, NEC Cannot Intimidate Citizens
I have read the recent press release from Dr. Christiana Thorpe headed National Electoral Commission alleging that the full penalty of the law would be applied against any political party agent taking down the names and addresses of those who are being registered to vote in this year’s elections. I wonder under what section of law will NEC be applying this full penalty of the Law? The way I see it, Christiana Thorpe’s NEC is just trying to intimidate political parties like SLPP with bogus posturing via threats of applying non-existent laws. As we question in local parlance: Na Oodat Christiana Thorpe dey Open-Call?
Jan 26, 2012, 17:04
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
In Total Agreement with Sierra Leone Peoples Party
It is rare these days for me to be in such complete and total agreement with the country’s main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) but having perused their latest press release (produced today), I have to state just how much I am in agreement with the positions expressed by SLPP’s Scribe Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie with respect to the recording of voters’ (electors) names by agents of political parties.
Jan 25, 2012, 17:12
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Sierra Leone Opposition made no in-roads in Bye-Elections...despite the violence
No, the SLPP made no in-roads at Fourah Bay. The Ward 369 community of Fourah Bay is made up of distinct areas with distinct voting patterns. Some clusters are typically SLPP whilst others are APC. This is historical. In the controversial recent January 2012 Bye-Elections, all what SLPP strategists did was to apply a two-prong approach of first, violence and secondly, collaboration with NEC and the Police. The resultant effect was to significantly lower the voter turn-out in APC strongholds whilst intimidating the few APC supporters in the SLPP strongholds - all as the deployed police and NEC turned a blind eye.
Jan 23, 2012, 14:11
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
SLPP-USA says Adios John Sandy!
Sierra Leone People’s Party in North America (SLPPNA) heaved a mighty sigh of relief when a long-standing sore finger who has been groveling to APC party functionaries while telling lies about his importance to the SLPPNA finally announced (amidst a concocted narrative of more lies) that he was leaving the SLPPNA. How can someone leave what someone ceased to be a member of more than 3 years ago because that person did not pay monthly dues and attend meetings?
Jan 23, 2012, 14:05
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
STOP PRESS: P/Chief Desmond Kargobai of Selenga Chiefdom in Bo Distict was Mercilessly Beaten up by thugs in Bo City Last Night
STOP PRESS: P/Chief Desmond Kargobai of Selenga Chiefdom in Bo Distict was Mercilessly Beaten up by thugs in Bo City Last Night
Jan 20, 2012, 17:26
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Dis Uman Sef Na Mortal Man? Is Mariama Suma also a Human Being?
Quite a lot has been said in certain quarters about the need to encourage Sierra Leone women to enter politics. However, ladies at forefront of this laudable campaign are impugning their credentials with the selective manner in which they have handled recent violence against leading female politicians who are not as well lettered as they are. Those well-lettered women agitating for 30% quota have been accused of only seeking their educated and elite interests. Many people claim all the noise they are making with the assistance of Donor Funds and United Nations Peace Building Funds are simply to make a way to promote themselves in the national polity whilst at the same time enjoying cash flows into some pockets.
Jan 18, 2012, 17:14
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Holding a Press Conference during Arrest : Why did Police & Aziz Carew hold a Press Conference for Journalists in Carew’s Living-room during “Arrest”?
Yesterday Monday January 16th 2012, many Sierra Leoneans were bemused to listen as Radio FM98.1 reported on the "Press Conference" which the arresting police officers and the arrested Aziz Carew serially held inside Carew’s Living room for journalists. First of all, Carew calmly recounts to journalists about his position on the matter and then it was the turn of the Police to also host a “Press Conference” in the words of FM98.1 during which they also addressed journalists. All of this right inside Carew’s Living room thus belying the dispatch by the SLPP’s JJ-BLOOD to the world that the Police had brutally broken down the Carew family doors and carted away everyone they met inside there! A big lie. In the words of FM98.1, a "Press Conference" for summoned journalists was held inside the living-room of Aziz Carew's residence. One can thus draw conclusions about the level of "chaos" which was happening inside the house.
Jan 17, 2012, 17:59
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Why Did Aziz Carew Stage Resistance to Police Arrest and why did Police go for him in the Night?
First of all, contrary to the SLPP dispatch last night, the President is not in the country as he travelled to Liberia around mid-day yesterday to attend Liberia’s Johnson-Sirleaf Inauguration today... Finally, if the police come for Aziz after having guarded him the whole night, why did Aziz, like a responsible and law-abiding politician, not simply hand himself over and then ask his lawyers to meet him at the Police Station than put up what was obviously a well-staged resistance?
Jan 16, 2012, 15:15
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Jeliba? Why is Sorie Fofana Behaving Like a Mentally Disturbed Jack-Ass?
Something is wrong with notorious journalist Sorie Fofana these days. He is acting & writing as if he is mentally disturbed. It started some months ago and it is now worsened with the outcome of the 2011 AWOL Award to the dynamic Awareness Times Newspaper. The man is so crazily disturbed that he actually believes the President should be proud of Sorie for the relentless lies Sorie published along with the occasional jeliba articles which he used to throw into his discredited newspaper in order to mislead the President that he was a good jeliba when in reality, he was busy undermining the image of the President via surreptitious acts like changing the contents of U.S.
Jan 13, 2012, 19:00
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Letter to Editor: Human Rights Commission: Human Rights Commissioners terms of office end on Human Rights Day
On 10th December 2011 (International Human Rights Day), the 5 year terms of the Human Rights Commissioners: Mr. Edward Sam (Chairperson), Ms. Yasmin Jusu-Sheriff (Vice- Chairperson), Mrs. Jamesina King, Rev. Moses Khanu, Mr. Joseph Stanley came to an end by an effluxion of time. According to section 4 of the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone Act No.9 of 2004 the Commissioners’ terms are to last for 5 years and can be subject to renewal for a further 5 years. To date, no such renewal has been made nor appointments made to replace them and the Commissioners have now vacated their offices.
Jan 11, 2012, 16:05
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
The Sierra Leone Newspaper with the 'Audacity' to take on the vices of the land
It is now accepted by all that Koromaism should not be taken to offensive levels as freedom of the press will cause proactive protective steps from audacious and outspoken newspapers. This, I effectively did last year - in an outspoken and audacious manner as cited by AWOL when they awarded this newspaper our most deserved Golden Jubilee award as the BEST print media in the entire Republic of Sierra Leone. We have the 'audacity' to take on issues that others shy away from and the 'audacity' to protect ourselves from media molestation. The people have spoken and the voice of the people is the voice of God. I will be publishing some of our congratulatory messages at a later date because of lack of space today for all the messages.
Jan 9, 2012, 18:45
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Sierra Leone Women Issues for the 2012 National Elections
 President Koroma ignored the trepidations of APC members and appointed the woman (of an SLPP family) strictly on merit to become the country’s first female Chief Justice. Similarly, the Auditor-General Lara Taylor Pearce is on record for dragging a Government Minister to court in her personal capacity for attempting to usurp her right to her family’s ancestral lands. Thus, like the Chief Justice, there was some resistance to her appointment but President Koroma ignored all resistance to her appointment. After consulting Public Service Commission, Section 119 of the Constitution gives the President the sole prerogative to appoint an Auditor-General. He appointed a woman. In the area of appointments to chair State Boards, far more women have chaired Boards than any other time in the History of this country. Dr. Nana Pratt, Mrs. Maude Peacock, Mrs. Shirley Rogers-Wright were named amongst the first set of Board Chairmen appointed by Koroma. Madam Rebecca Conteh was last year named as Board Chair of the country’s Road Transport Corporation. Also last year, President Koroma used his initiative to ensure Mrs. Sarah Bendu who had been impugned for corruption, but later exonerated, was re-instated to head the country’s Road Transport Authority. By re-instating her, President Koroma continued to ensure young girls had positive role models to aspire to be. ... President Koroma has been working overtime to empower the Women of Sierra Leone and give them the respect due them whether they were media persons like myself or judicial figures or military brigadiers or grassroots women. President Koroma has respected and empowered women at all levels of the society.
Jan 9, 2012, 18:41
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Sorious Samura, Sierra Leone, Al Jazeera’s Rubbish & House Slaves
Many years ago, during the height of the Slave Trade in America, you had two kinds of slaves; the House Slaves and the Field Slaves. The House Slaves were raised to deify the white Slave Masters (i.e: treat them like Gods). These house slaves lived with the slave-masters in their warm houses and they were raised to believe that the white slave-master was next to God following which was the black enslaved man much lower down the human index. In the process, they assumed such an inferiority complex that they even saw themselves (House Slaves) as being next to the White Man after God whilst the Field Slaves were seen as much lower down the human index. Back then, according to House Slaves, the White Slave-Masters must always be right even when facts indicate otherwise.
Dec 28, 2011, 16:18
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Sierra Leone Opinion: True Meaning of Independent Journalism
Now, firstly, please be informed that I have never in my entire life received sum of US$3,500 from Haja Afsatu Kabba for any purpose; including setting up of a website. Secondly, please be informed that the sum of money I collected for the State House website in December 2007 was not Ten Million Leones but THIRTEEN MILLION LEONES. Thirdly, I am not eyeing State House or the Presidency in 2017. Lastly, your innuendo that I was named Deputy Minister of Health & Sanitation when AFRC/RUF overthrew the Government is patently false. CLICK ABOVE LINK TO READ LETTER TO SORIE FOFANA OF MANJORO.
Dec 21, 2011, 17:51
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Na Udat Get da Cocaine dey??
There is currently consternation in Salone following revelation by famous radio broadcaster David Tam-Baryoh over Monologue that not only was a huge cache of cocaine discovered hidden in a container of Pampers (diapers) shipped by Maersk-line from Ecuador in South America but that all documents relating to the ownership of container, had allegedly disappeared. According to Tam-Baryoh, the drugs were seized whilst the container was on its way out the Ports gates having cleared Customs & necessary security checks.
Dec 19, 2011, 14:50
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Applauding Ernest Koroma’s Outstanding Leadership in Sierra Leone
By inviting independent investigators into the country over the discredited Al Jazeera documentary that should have been a trivial distraction [but which unpatriotic political figures are milking to score points], His Excellency the President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma has shown outstanding leadership which has left many - even us his fiercest critics - reeling in awe and admiration. Now, there are over 500 Congressmen in America of which 19 (nineteen) wrote to Hilary Clinton about that bogus Al Jazeera documentary of Sorious Samura on Sierra Leone timber. Many of these nineteen congressmen might not be able to point out where Sierra Leone is located on a map of the world.
Dec 19, 2011, 14:44
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Sierra Leone President Koroma & his Vice President
When I first saw the Al Jazeera documentary on Sierra Leone Timber, like most patriotic Sierra Leoneans, my first instinct was that Vice President Sam-Sumana should resign. This was reflected in my initial front page Opinion which called on the VP to consider to resign. However, when I downloaded the video and carefully re-watched it, I realized just how much Sorious Samura, had diligently crafted a tale that was full of sound & fury signifying nothing.
Dec 15, 2011, 12:20
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