By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
Some children who were members of the Children’s Forum Network (CFN) have testified against Dr. Sylvia Blyden at the Commissions of Inquiry, accusing her of ordering the assault on them.
According to the children’s testimonies on Thursday, they were physically assaulted at the premises of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs by a group of “thugs” who were allegedly hired by Blyden who was then the minister.
Thursday’s session was the second day of Blyden’s hearing in that incident on December 28, 2016. The children were allegedly beaten and driven from the minister’s office where they were supposed to hold a meeting on the same day.
On the first day of the hearing on Wednesday, Blyden called the allegations “bogus”.
Osman Amadu Jalloh, 17, was a victim of the brutality and one of the children the State presented to the tribunal as a witness.
Jalloh was just over 15 at the time of the incident.
“We saw thugs in red dress standing out of the ministry’s conference room. We were trying to go to the hall and when we approached the step, they were standing there. I personally said excuse me please so I can access the step and one of them said ‘what are you doing here.’ So, I checked then and I said, ‘good morning.’ I thought maybe it was because I did not greet. And one of them responded: ‘what are you here for?’.
At that point, Jalloh said, Mohamed Hunter (another member of CFN) replied that they were part of CFN and were supposed to hold their meeting on the day.
“Another thug replied in Krio: ‘are you the ones that are here to overthrow the minister?” Jallow said.
He continued: “They rushed at us and started kicking and slapping us. The one kicked me at my buttocks from the ministry right down towards the Ministry of Works, beating us mercilessly, till we went out of the premises and right down to the New England Ville mini bus park.”
The testimony has shed a rare insight into the shameful incident that sparked concerns about the Ministry’s responsibility to protect children. CFN was established by the Social Welfare Ministry in 2000. The organization is the voice of children on critical issues concerning their welfare.
Isatu Fofanah, who is 19 now, said like Jalloh and the others, she was also jostled from the premises upon her arrival on that day for the meeting.
“On the 28th December, on my way to the conference hall, I saw Mr Anthony. He was the assistant secretary to the Minister. And Mr Anthony knew that I am part of CFN and he asked me, if I was there for the press conference. I replied and said ‘yes sir’. Then Mr. Anthony instructed two men, two huge men who were standing outside. He told them ‘she is one of the children that Madam Sylvia asked you to deal with.’ After that, the two huge men came close to me, the one was holding my left hand and the other my right hand. They walked me to the junction with slaps. The one was slapping me on my right cheek and the other was slapping me on my left cheek,” a shaky Fofanah explained in the tribunal.
The parent of some of the witnesses were also present in court to witness the testimonies. Their friends and other members of the CFN were also among the gallery of a packed room at the Commissions of Inquiry.
Blyden who opted to represent herself following the unceremonious dismissal of her lawyer on the first day of the hearing, was absent from Thursday’s proceedings. She called in sick, according to the State Council. It followed a bitter outburst with the lead State counsel, Robert Kowa at the tail end of Wednesday’s hearings.
(c) 2019 Politico Online
