By Amin Kef Sesay
In a letter dated the 3rd September 2021 and written by Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden OOR addressed to the Secretary General of the All Peoples Congress (APC) Party, Ambassador Osman Yansanneh, with a letter head captioned, “Request for Immediate Release and Popularizing of the 5th October 1991 Constitution of the All Peoples Congress”, it was stated that exactly 30 years ago on September 3rd 1991, late Speaker of Parliament, William Niaka Stephen Conteh, submitted Sierra Leone’s brand new Multi-Party Democratic Constitution (Act No.6 of 1991), with Section 35 included therein, to H.E. President Major-General (rtd) Dr. Joseph Saidu Momoh GCRSL; according to the wishes of the people of Sierra Leone in a referendum conducted on 23rd, 26th, 28th and 30th days of August 1991 – following Parliament passing the Bill on 1st July 1991 after its introduction by the then Attorney-General Hon. Dr. Abdulai Osman Conteh.
She stated that H.E. President J.S. Momoh then appended his signature to assent to the new Sierra Leone Constitution on 24th September 1991.
According to Dr. Blyden, in cognizance of Section 35, the APC Leader of blessed memory, President J.S. Momoh, immediately set in place the motions to call up an APC National Delegates Conference with a primary agenda being to re-write the then-extant APC Constitution so APC’s internal organization shall conform to democratic principles; which was a prerequisite for APC to continue to exist and not become de-registered or declared unfit for existence under Act No.6 of 1991.
She highlighted that 30 YEARS AGO, the APC became the first political party to have its Constitution brought in line with the dictates of Section 35 of the new Sierra Leone Democratic Constitution which reflects the aspirations of the membership of APC at a duly constituted National Delegates Conference.
Dr. Sylvia Blyden mentioned that is how the APC party, on October 5th 1991, adopted a “more democratic” Constitution by APC delegates in their FULL NUMERICAL COMPLEMENT.
She furthered that as the APC now proceeds to hold a LIMITED NUMERICAL COMPLEMENT delegates’ conference in two weeks’ time to adopt a purportedly “more democratic” Constitution, she is once again reminding him of the imperative need to restore the dignity of the history of their glorious party by releasing for public consumption the legitimate, 30 years old, democratic APC Constitution of October 5th 1991.
She stated that the APC Secretary General will recall that, for over two years now, she had been urging the National Chairman & Leader Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, members of the National Advisory Committee and himself as Secretary General on reasons for the imperative need to publish the October 5th 1991 Constitution; not least because of great urgency to ensure pertinent records – including at the Law Courts – reflect APC is an innately democratic political party that, at its own normal state of existence, abides by dictates of Section 35 of the 1991 Sierra Leone Constitution although APC may currently find itself buffeted by a dictatorial, shortsighted Leadership placing APC at risk.
According to her, in exactly two weeks’ time, the APC party will be holding a National Delegates Conference to adopt what has been described by him the Secretary General in court papers as a “more democratic” Constitution for their great APC party.
She highlighted that her attempt to CONTEST to be ELECTED as a delegate from Kailahun’s Constituency 002 to that conference, was blocked by him the Secretary General under the guise of what his representative at the Venue said that him, the APC Secretary General had not “ordained” her to contest.
Dr. Blyden said, however, it is with the above reference of a “more democratic” Constitution that she is writing to formally draw his attention, alongside that of the general APC membership and the entire Sierra Leone polity, to what transpired in their great party exactly 30 years ago under the leadership of the blessed late APC Leader H.E. the President Major-General (rtd) Dr. Joseph Saidu Momoh GCRSL.
She stated that as they approach this month’s court-ordered National Delegates Conference, the urgent need to immediately popularize the October 5th 1991 APC Constitution cannot be over-stated urging the Secretary General whom she refers to as Uncle Osman, to please release and popularize the said constitution NOW concluding by reminding him of her fully paid, card-carrying membership status.
Copies of the letter were sent to Members of National Advisory Committee of the APC, all APC Party Members through Branch Secretaries, the Master & Registrar of the High Court of Sierra Leone, members of the Political Parties Registration Commission, citizens and friends of Sierra Leone in and out of the Diaspora and the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps (for re-distribution to all Diplomatic Missions).
