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Susan Shepler, an Associate Professor and PhD Program Director at American University, Washington, D.C. has refuted claims that she accepted a substantial bribe to have Sierra Leone’s President Julius Bio speak at the institution.
Bio, an alumnus of the school was a guest Speaker on Friday where he gave a public lecture titled “Building a Prosperous and Secured Future through Human Capital Development – the Sierra Leone Example.” After the lecture, Shepler moderated a Q&A session where the President gave a remark accusing the United States of pressuring him to interfere in his country’s June 24 election count.
“When the elections were at the height — of calling the results — this is when the problems started,” Bio said during the event.
The Election Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL), he said, “had done all their calculations, collations, all the processes. I was now requested to stop them from calling the result by the United States. So I don’t know who is accusing who of interference.”
“They are an independent, semiautonomous body,” the president said of the ECSL. “I declined, and I said I have never called this institution, I am not going to call them now.”
The President’s statements have drawn attention from both local and international audiences, with some critics suggesting that American University should not have given him a platform to discuss the election controversies.
In response to these sentiments, Shepler took to social media, conveying that while she shares many of the concerns about Sierra Leone’s current state, it remains vital to foster public dialogue.
“Just had a call from a Sierra Leonean upset that we are giving President Bio a platform to speak. Though I agree with MANY of the caller’s concerns (democratic decay, deadly policing, etc.), I still think it’s important to host a public dialogue.” She wrote.
Furthermore, Shepler clarified that she did not receive any bribe to invite President Bio to the university. She also noted that the government provided “us nice propaganda booklets for our collections.”
The APCians are just upset because “BIG BREEZE BLOW, DEM WASE COMOT NAR DOE.”
ApC is a hooligan party who can lie even against God.
Isn’t it obvious?
This all the devilish plan orchestra by the APC.
Pa all the sufferness party pikin dem still dae support, smh
U dae tok against America n still want dem support n money funny tho….salone man prefer for die pa sufferness as long na e party dae na power…both party supporters na so dem sae dae but this present government dem tone worst.
High cost of living
No good medical facilities
No good roads
Sub standard education
Bad econom8
Bad democracy
Black our everywhere
Fuel price shooting upetc but una still dae support 😀😃😄
Pa all the sufferness party pikin dem still dae support, smh
U dae tok against America n still want dem support n money funny tho….salone man prefer for die pa sufferness as long na e party dae na power…both party supporters na so dem sae dae but this present government dem tone worst.
High cost of living
No good medical facilities
No good roads
Sub standard education
Bad econom8
Bad democracy
Black our everywhere
Fuel price shooting upetc but una still dae support 😀😃😄
APC is not a serious political party, and they are not going to be serious forever.
Mad Generation
This is not a matter of A P C, it’s a matter of Sierra Leone
we’re actually suffering from something which the government is held responsible. No freedom of speech, abuse of power, tribal problems.
Inflation. With fake free education. No fee subsidy for last year third term.
A pen is 2Nle am not talking about books, uniforms, shoes. Pls help us
All we need to do now as a Sierra leonean home and abroad let pray for our beloved country,
Some of u saying u are suffering but have two three girlfriends u are sponsoring in their under takings but yet still, singing the song that u are suffering prosperity will judge you guys. Abeg if u no say u dey suffer go beg u village people dem mek dem pray for u, n na for begin lay farm so u go lef for suffer yaa funny people. Nor go fen am say na government for put chop na u table. Lazy people always get excuse.
Some of u will suffer the real sufferness soon that u are claiming to be suffering, why don’t u tell u charlatans in the APC to give u, some of d money they stole from dis nation, so u can start enjoying. America should first fix their political tension before the fix Sierra Leones own. After all the evil they have done to Africa. They are facing there own judgement already. Salone na independent state lon tah.
A P c want us to suffer that why they boycut pal8men
If you listened to the response of US embassy in Sierra Leone to President Bio’s accusation on the election interference, the embassy did say that that was a private diplomatic conversation. Meaning that what ever the Ambassador requested from the President, was done in his private capacity as a diplomat, not on behalf of the US government. So if the President exposed the former Ambassador especially when he is no longer in office, note that the President’s statement is not targeting the US government. And that is why the embassy refused to respond to private diplomatic conversations.