By Kabs Kanu
In a blistering public broadcast on social media, former Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs , Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden , has come out swinging and accused the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party ( SLPP) of lying and deceiving the nation that Sierra Leone
soldiers had been despatched to the Guinea army – occupied Sierra Leonean town of Yenga and that residents , who fled the town, should return.
She described the lies of the SLPP Government as a mockery to the victimized people of Yenga, given the way they are suffering and a dangerous act because Yenga is still occupied by Guinean soldiers and Guinea has even built a military barracks there.
She also describes the SLPP’s action as wickedness, inhumanity, heartlessness and a disgrace . They have not carried food, medicines and even shelter ( Sleeping tents ) to the people in this humanitarian crisis. Rather, they are engaged in lies and propaganda. The SLPP said they sent mosquito nets. Of what use are the mosquito nets when the people do not have a sleeping place , Dr. Blyden ridiculed the government.
The former government minister, who is also Publisher of the popular AWARENESS TIMES newspaper , accused the government of dereliction of duty because governments have a social contract with their people to maintain law and order and the people too obey the laws because they have a government that protects them.
She lamented however that after their dereliction of duty, the SLPP , instead of acknowledging their fault, are now engaged in propaganda and lies. She said she wants to tell the people of Sierra Leone that the government lied to say that Sierra Leone soldiers are now in control in Yenga and the residents, who have fled , should return. She accused the SLPP Government of having the habit of sweeping things under the carpet and resorting to propaganda and lies.
We cannot have a government that lies to the people, Dr. Blyden went on . We cannot have a government that, after failing in its duty, tries to cover up with lies and propaganda.
She theorized that people at the ministry that should tell the people the truth ( Ministry of Information and Civic Education ) should not engage in lies. She regrets that the Ministry of Information is full of liars. She said when the Minidtry posted their lies, she called them to put down the story and recent their false information but they did not do so. As at the time of her online public broadcast to the nation, the lies were still posted on the ministry’s page and their other platforms. Sylvia Blyden warned the Minister, Chernoh Bah, popularly known as Cee Bah, to put down his fake news or she will take him on head-on. “This is a despicable manner for any government to behave “, she famed.
Dr. Blyden raised a very poignant point that political activists have also been complaining about. The SLPP Government is taking advantage of the people and lying to them always because they know that nobody will challenge them.
When Dr. Blyden raises an important issue like this ( The absences of challenges to the SLPP’s lies and propaganda ) that impacts on the destiny of the nation, there are sure to be nervous glances within the opposition, civil society, media, professional bodies, Parliament and the intelligentsia because they have all failed the people, like the SLPP.
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