Sierra Leone Telegraph: 18 April 2021:
As opposition parties’ scepticism grows over the SLPP government’s intention to conduct a national census in the next few weeks, amid fear that the Bio-led government is planning to inflate the population in its political stronghold and possibly create new constituencies that will increase its number of MPs in parliament, Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden is calling on the opposition parties not to boycott the 2021 mid-term census.
Speaking in her national audio recorded message shared yesterday on social media – Audio-021, Dr. Sylvia Blyden says that the 2004 Census ordered by Former President Kabbah under an SLPP led Government, resulted in demarcated constituencies which then saw the opposition Ernest Bai Koroma-led APC party winning successive general elections in 2007 and 2012.
She also said that the 2015 Census ordered by Former President Koroma under an APC led Government, resulted in the creation of several new constituencies which the opposition SLPP capitalised on to win the 2018 general election.
“Based on the 2015 census conducted by president Ernest Bai Koroma’s APC government ahead of the 2018 elections, SLPP was transformed from a regional to a national presence after winning 10 of the 20 newly created constituencies in Tonkolili, Falaba, Western Urban, Western Rural, Kailahun, Pujehun and Bonthe,” says Dr. Blyden.
You can listen to her recording here which has been described as highly educational by even her critics:
Regadless of how the census is conducted, or whether redrawing of constituency boundaries are redrawn, the reality of the situation we find ourselves, both in economics and social term, or providing the bread and butter issues in our country, the prevailing mood right now, this Bio government have failed us. All the indicators suggest the country is heading in the wrong direction. The promises made by Bio in the last presidential election, like tackling corruption, enhancing the standard of living for ordinary families in the country, and above all else bringing the country together has been a massive failure. Under Bio, political polarisation, a lack of sense of direction, entrenched tribal and regional lines, drawn on the sand by the blood of youths killed under Bio’s watch, there by taking the security of the state to the brink cannot be underestimated.
The vendetta politics that Bio unleashed in his first three years in office has have a genuine effects and being the single most contributory factor, why people’s hope of him doing anything to better our countrys economic prospects were dashed. Even some Bio’s most ardent supporters are starting to lose faith in him. And when you think we got two years of his administration left , public anger the way he have handled his presidency is only going to continue to grow. Unless of course he listened and changed course.
But I don’t think he will. He is going to continue to dig in. As a country we are all going to end up in a rabbit hole with no way out. I think with a strong candidate, the APC party or other parties coming together forming the coalition of the willing, will defeat Bio and his inept government. This partis just have to put their political and ideological differences aside and cobfront the real enemies of Sierra Leone, Bio and some of his corrupt ministers.
To Dr. Blyden: Jerrymamdering has only been detrimental to curbed vision politicians. It’s a fundamental political tool, and applied progressively in a political program, will most often improve the political and socioeconomic growth of an area. I can assure you that the real concern of Sierra Leoneans at this time is whether we will see an improvement in our quality of life within 2 years. The interest you represent never announces initiatives garnered to improving the life quality of Sierra Leoneans.
I think the “book sense” and political knowledge you continue presenting has become totally unproductive. I really don’t give rat’s whisker about demarcating and redemarcating of political strongholds. Sylvia please proffer a plan to make minimum wage Le 1,500,000 so I can give you my time of day. Otherwise the political knowledge you brilliantly espouse is absolutely meaningless to me.
Here we go again – merciless SLPP Wolves playing dead so that they can take our people for a ride once again. (lol) Gentlemen – A wolf once told its curious pup; “Eat a man and you’ll be fed for a day – Roll over and play dead and you will be fed for the rest of your life.” Hahaha…Seriously, it doesn’t matter if they pretend to be in a coma or profess to be dead – Come 2023, whether in rain or sunshine their incompetent thieving SLPP butts are going to be kicked out of power – better believe that.