By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
The former Minister and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Social Welfare Gender and Children’s Affairs (MSWGCA) faced each other on Wednesday at the ongoing Commissions of Inquiry.
Dr Sylvia Blyden who was the minister at MSWGCA in the last administration of President Ernest Bai Kroroma, is a person of interest at the commission for allegedly perpetrating violence against children. Her deputy at the time, Rugiatu Neneh Turay is a witness against her in the case the State is building.
This is the first time in this tribunal’s short life span that such high profile members of the opposition All Peoples Congress are facing off against each other. Their presence in the commission even goes against their party’s default position, which is their refusal to recognize the legality of the tribunal, since its inception in February this year.
On Wednesday, Turay was called to the dock as a witness for the state. She testified concerning the alleged masterminding by Blyden to physically assault children who were members of the Children’s Forum Network (CFN) - an organization under the ministry’s purview.
During her account, Madam Turay said she was called about an incident that was happening at the office and the presence of Police Officers within the vicinity of the ministry. She said she decided to come to work that day even against the advice of her secretary, just to understand what was going on.
“I did not go out but stood by my window and I saw the men. And later I got another call again that these same men had manhandled a staff at the ministry who took pictures of what was happening, and that they had taken him to the minister’s office. Later I sent for the said staff, Mr Kanu. He came and I asked him what transpired between him and the men and I also asked about his phone. He told me that Sylvia Olayinka Blyden was holding on to his phone. I left the office about 4pm and I left the men within the ministry compound. I made a statement at the Police station,” she explained.
Turay’s testimony reflects several other testimonies by witnesses the state has presented in this tribunal. All those testimonies suggest that Blyden hired ‘thugs’ to manhandle and beat children of CFN in December 2016.
Blyden who is representing herself in the tribunal presented two letters of complaint that Turay wrote against her. She questioned Turay about her temperament at the time of writing the letter. But that concern only came after a very peculiar question that Blyden started her cross examination with.
“Don’t you find it strange that a minister and deputy minister find themselves in this situation that we are in now? We are in the same political party.” Blyden asked.
Turay responded: “I do not find it strange that a Former Minister and Deputy Minister find themselves in such a situation.”
Blyden later asked Turay about her temperament whiles she was complaining her to the Permanent Secretary,
She asked, “Would you agree with me that you were very angry with me in these letters.”
“No I don’t agree with you that I was angry with the Minister,” Turay responded, with a smile on her face.
Blyden then ordered her to read a portion of one of the letter.
“You have insulted, disrespected and humiliated everyone in this ministry. You have used your newspaper to intimidate and lie against me. You have deprived me from using my official vehicle for the last four consecutive months based on constitutional powers you claim have been given to you.” Turay read aloud in the tribunal.
The cross examination which lasted almost two hours saw Blyden highlight issues around a certain anti- Female Genital Mutilation strategy that Turay worked on and her delay to resume office following her appointment as Deputy Minister.
It is not clear yet where Blyden’s cross examination is leading or how it relates to defending herself against allegations of perpetrating violence against children.
Both women have a bitter history of animosity. In 2017 both of them were fired, after their animosity exploded in public following a chain of events that led to the toxic working relationship.
© 2019 Politico Online
