Cheryl Omotunde Blyden
Sierra Leone Telegraph: 22 June 2016
There is a fake letter dated June 15th 2016, claiming to be from the Social Welfare Ministry. It shows the unauthorised names and passport details of individuals pretending to be government officials from the Sierra Leone ministry responsible for signing the 2016 Hajj Accord with the Saudi Arabian government. (Photo: Mines minister – Minkailu Mansaray – in red shirt).
Not a single one of the five names listed, works at the Ministry of Social Welfare, which for over 50 years now, has been the ministry solely responsible for Hajj affairs.
Very fraudulently obtained NOTE VERBALE from the Director General of Sierra Leone Foreign Ministry – Madam Kadi Bassir, is then sent to the Saudi Embassy in Conakry, Guinea, presenting the mines minister Minkailu Mansaray, two private businessmen and two religious/Arabic clerics as being responsible to act on behalf of the Social Welfare Minister.
All this was done, without the knowledge of the minister of social welfare. Strange but absolutely true. ‘Salone na place.’
When the minister of social welfare – Sylvia Blyden (Photo – with president Koroma) found out and attempted to investigate the criminal activity, which originated from her ministry in connivance with the minister of mines – Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray, she was physically threatened with attack in her office by the Director of Social Welfare, who has been proven to be the one who actually typed the unauthorized letter on behalf of the mines minister Minkailu Mansaray and the private businessmen.
Why was the Director of social welfare so emboldened as to behave in that way, and to such an extent of even threatening the head of the ministry – pointing fingers to her face? Who is ‘pumping him up’ against his minister and political head of social welfare?
Who are the persons that have panicked to the extent of spreading a whole host of nonsense and outrageous lies against a female cabinet minister, whom many right-thinking Sierra Leoneans have come to greatly admire in just two months of her being in office?
Who really believes the utter trash written as “REAL NEWS” by an anonymous author?
Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray (Photo), can the social welfare minister sign a mining contract on behalf of the Sierra Leone government?
Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray wants to illegally sign the Hajj Accord with Saudi Arabia on behalf of the Sierra Leone government, when there is a minister responsible for religious affairs.
This is such a bad behaviour by an Alhaji, especially during this Holy month of Ramadan. Alhaji Minkailu do you see the big trouble you have now caused? You have gone into another ministry and messed up the officials.
They have been misled by you into thinking that your position as APC party Deputy Leader, gives you the power to interfere in other ministries. Your behaviour is very shameful. You are using your position as APC Deputy Leader to intimidate people and worst of all, to undermine your cabinet colleague in her ministry.
This is why the ministry of social welfare officials are now boldly challenging the social welfare minister assigned by His Excellency. YOU, Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray have emboldened them, and it is disgraceful. You have caused this whole problem. This is pure Haram in the Holy Month ALHAJI.
How can the mines minister sign a letter on behalf of the social welfare minister, without the social welfare minister knowing anything about it?
Now that they have committed Haram in the holy month of Ramadan, they have gone into panic and started paying boys to spread lies.
Let me end by saying that I, Madam Cheryl Blyden, am a very bright red and loyal APC Party member, who was born APC. I formally registered and took my APC card in the year 2003.
I faithfully paid my APC dues, through the APC National Treasurer – Comrade Sanie Sesay throughout the years that the APC was in the opposition wilderness, long before the year 2007.
But truly speaking, as an APC member, let me say that our Deputy APC Leader and Chairman Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray is disgracing our party.
© Cheryl Omotunde Blyden – sister of the Minister of social welfare, Dr Sylvia Blyden
This story as it is told is yet another scandal in the ministry of social welfare. Events have repeated themselves just within a short space of time.
Nevertheless, the alleged accusations on either side are a serious breach of official code of conduct. This urges for a thorough investigation.
While the Minister’s conduct might have been inappropriate, the cause of the conflict about an alleged dubious attempt to bypass the minister of what should be her legitimate duty or responsibility, impersonated by some senior party cronies of the APC is a serious concern and an illegal act. The APC leadership should look into the matter.
If the findings corroborate these accusations, the consequences should be equal as to the previous Minister and Deputy of this same ministry in a recent contention, with insults thrown on each other. The same fate should be fallen on Minister Olayinka Blyden and the director Mr. Kabbia for a serious breach of the ministerial code of conduct.
Also the perpetrators of the alleged impersonation must be held accountable for their illegal action. It is against all moral ethics and also a crime.
The Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children Affairs is now operating on sentiments by siblings who know nothing about Governmental operations. You have to tell your sister to behave herself when it comes to matters of dealing with the public.
You claim to be a party member and have the guts to attack your deputy leader and chairman, what a shame. Your membership should have been withdrawn because your contribution to the party is so minimal that, you cannot use that against patrons of the party.
If your sister behaved as a matured person in that ministry, she would not have gone so far in the state in which she finds herself.
She is the minister, but they have technocrats and committees working in those ministries to see that checks and balances are maintained. You think that it is a family issue?
Besides, your sister is a christian with little or no idea about hajj activities. So please allow other people to guide her in that ministry.
Madam Cheryl Blyden,
Without being politically nepotic and showing favoritism to your elder sister, Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden who is the Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, could you please explain what you mean by:
“Now that they have committed Haram in the holy month of Ramadan, they have gone into panic and started paying boys to spread lies.”
What do you mean? Who committed Haram? Who got panicked? And who paid what “boys” to spread lies?
In anticipation of your response to these critical questions, to tell the truth, as quickly as possible. Thank you very much.
Does any one with his or her right mind expect you to be objective in any case involving your sibling? Were you present at the time of this alleged attack on your sister?
Where did you get all this information about what actually transpired between the Director of Social Welfare and your sister? Are you an employee of the ministry? Until you respond to these questions everyone, including me, will only see your biased position in this whole episode.
However, for some of us who have had the unfortunate chance of reading or listening to your sister over the years, beginning with the coming to power of EBK’s government (remember what your sister wrote about EBK – about the color of his underwear, his womanizing, corruption, etc.) I wonder, how your sister had transformed herself to be appointed a minister in the very government against which she was the greatest opposition voice.
In the real world, they call that political opportunism where you sing the praises of the chief nonstop until the chief agrees to offer you a position.
Your sister is the most divisive individual that I have ever come to know – masquerading as a political commentator, an expert on judicial and constitutional matters, or falsely posing as a medical doctor when she never graduated from a medical college or practiced medicine in her entire life.
In other words, she is a fraud.
The piece lacks objectivity for thorough analysis, hence, does not warrant a response!!