By Amin Kef Sesay
Dr Sylvia Blyden, a female politician and journalist was sent back to prison, on Friday 19th June 2020 and her case was adjourned to the 24th June 2020 because Magistrate Hannah Bonnie was not present in court due to illness which was why Dr. Blyden was denied bail meaning that she spent another weekend in confinement at the Pademba Road Women’s Correctional Centre.
Blyden is charged with violating Sections 27, 32, and 33 of Sierra Leone’s Public Order Act and if convicted, she faces up to seven years in prison and a fine of 1,000 Leones ($0.10), according to a copy of the law reviewed by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
In a personal statement posted on social media, Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden, in trying to tender an apology said she is someone who cannot be forced to say what she does not believe in.
She distanced herself from certain nefarious activities and apologised to all those in and out of the Judiciary who have been offended by abusive words thrown at them by persons alleging to be her followers, admirers or supposedly claiming they were writing in defence of her.
“I am choosing to apologise on behalf of my followers in order to show my distaste for such actions and to condemn those who are not my followers but are seeking to inflame situations,” she pointed out.
Sylvia maintained that when an unidentified voice issued a dangerous audio purportedly in support of her she immediately had her Office put out a statement to dis-associate her from that social media audio making threats to national security as part of supposed protests against her detention. She said her Office made it clear that she does not subscribe to such threats.
“The public will also recall that few days ago in this month of June 2020, I also had my Office put out a release to debunk a suggestion published on social media that I was frustrated with the country’s legal systems,” she postulated.
She said although she never heard or saw those two materials first hand, as soon as they were drawn to her attention, she immediately debunked them and distanced herself from them. “I have never and I will never encourage any threat to the Security, Peace and Stability of my beloved country, Sierra Leone,” she assured.
She stated that throughout the nineties into the turn of the century, she worked very hard for Sierra Leone to enjoy the peace, stability and democracy that the country enjoys today and will never be a part to destabilise the country.
“Now, I have been kept completely incommunicado from social media and also prevented from accessing local newspapers since June 3rd 2020 when I was re-arrested until today June 17th 2020 so I had not seen any published content on any media. However, I am now informed by a very credible, impeccable source that there are persons using the media to throw very abusive language against officers of the Sierra Leone Judiciary especially the learned magistrate, Her Worship Hannah Bonnie who is presiding over my current matter. These persons are either using my name directly and so, are impersonating me or they claim to be abusing the Judiciary as some form of protest in my ostensible favour,” she added.
She said by way of her statement, she wish to dis-associate herself from any abusive words thrown at the Judiciary stating that any such abuse done in her name is a fraudulent misrepresentation.
Sylvia mentioned how she did not authorise the abuse of the Honourable Attorney General.
“I hold no malice against Dr. Priscilla Schwartz as Attorney General and Minister of Justice. My grandfather, Professor S.A.J. Pratt (R.I.P), one of the most brilliant Sierra Leone lawyers, was the very first Cabinet Minister to serve as Attorney General when Sierra Leone attained Republic status in 1971. I have respect for that office,” the firebrand politician and journalist pointed out.
Sylvia Blyden said that she is patriotic enough to put national interests above limited parochial or partisan interests which is why she publicly and very strongly defended the Attorney General on social media few weeks ago that she was absolutely correct to say the regulations for any State of Emergency (SOE) declaration do not need to be mandatorily tabled in Parliament for swift approval as there was a 90-days constitutional leeway given to the President.
She stated that she is proudly a very senior member of the opposition APC party but did not hesitate to defend a governing SLPP State official as it was extremely important to help clarify to our people that the Attorney General did not breach the constitution with the assumed ‘delay’ to table the regulations in such a politically charged atmosphere.
She said she has no malice for Dr. Priscilla Schwartz even as she seriously detests the legal charges against her.
“I possess a strong personality that is big enough to appreciate she is doing her job. I defend State authorities because I am patriotic enough to put the national interest above limited parochial or partisan interests,” Dr Blyden pointed out.
The Politician-journalist furthered that patriotism and love for a united and stable country is why she called on Sierra Leoneans to fully support the President’s proclamation for a SOE to enable us combat the threat of the Covid-19 coronavirus.
She claimed how she wants to see a Sierra Leone where citizens, especially those in leadership or with large number of followers, emulate her and put Sierra Leone first above all partisan interests.
Sylvia Blyden cautioned all Sierra Leoneans to believe in her saying, if they do believe in her they must believe in her ideology and refrain from engaging in any form of activities that threaten national security.
“Peace, Unity and Love are amongst what the forefathers of my APC party stood for when they split from the SLPP to form the APC. The APC ideology does not believe in revenge nor does it promote de-stabilisation of Sierra Leone. The historical records are clear on this; Very, very clear. Let all Sierra Leoneans strive to emulate the peaceful APC ideology of our Founding Fathers in this our multi-party, democratic dispensation,” she asserted.
She said she hold no bitterness for anyone; even those who have connived and contrived against her as she knows revenge is odious so she has already forgiven them highlighting that her destiny cannot be stopped by them.
She said threats of vengeance on her behalf against any one in authority is not her way maintaining how she completely condemns such behaviour. “If you believe in me, then please believe in God Almighty,” she admonished saying that people should be rest assured that any divinely ordained destiny cannot be stopped by man.
According to her no human being can stop her destiny stating that the struggles are challenging assuring that they shall overcome and there will be Victory.
“Let us trust God Almighty and collectively work towards a stable, peaceful and united Sierra Leone with full respect for the Judiciary,” she further advised.
