On 16th August, 2021 Standard Times Newspaper and social media followed with a social media post by a popular APC politician Dr. Sylvia Blyden which went viral and raised serious concerns especially by those dealing with gender issues.

I read the comments on her thread of messages after her post with some being supportive and others being disclaimer. Those disclaimer comments claimed the story was cooked by the Principal because he was resisted by students in his efforts to impose a candidate on them.

Many of the posts claimed that the Principal wanted to impose the lady on them but was resisted and therefore cooked a story to paint few people including the leading aspirant bad.

Couple of hours later, I saw a disclaimer on WhatsApp from an unknown source titled, PUTTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT….. which made me more interested in the matter.

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Being someone who have interest in social justice issues against women, I decided to visit the 3 Campuses of Milton Margai in an effort to sound the views of students on the issue making rounds on social media in a bid to help bring out some facts.

On Tuesday, 17th August at about 9am, I set out for Milton Margai with a view to investigate the issue and possibly get views from students from the three Campuses. I first visited the main campus at Goderich

On arrival, I went around the canteen which was closed. I asked why but I was informed that it is closed based on a directives from the Principal. They said the Principal instructed for the closure all canteens following allegations by some concern students to stakeholders in government.

I later moved to the Great Hall where I saw some students chatting to themselves. In front of the Great Hall, I heard few guys talking about the issue.

Being the main reason for my visit, I inquired.

First question I asked all those I spoke to was, where did it happen? All the respondents said they are made to understand that the issue around IMATT where she went to attend a meeting together with the current Student Union President Philip Koroma.

Luckily for me, I met with a guy and lady who informed me that they were fully aware of the issues but will want to speak in anonymity.

According to them, the lady in question attended a fraternal meeting (name not stated) out of the Campus with her campaign team that includes but not limited to the Current Student Union President Philip Koroma, the appointed CEC Abdulai Sesay, Abdulai Mansalenkey Conteh (Akon), Alfred, Sylvester and few other names.

Access to the meeting venue according to the guys was through a pass code as they wanted to restrict the number of attendees taking into account COVID 19 restrictions. Only core people were informed and asked to take along people who are members and aspiring for positions in the coming elections.

Asked how she got glimpse of the news and attended, they informed me that she is a member as well but was led to the venue by the current President Philip Koroma and team.

On the issue of the picture, when asked if its true, they said they are not sure because the place was jam packed with over 60 people.

How will that have happened without anyone noticing it especially when she claimed it was forcefully done??? They said they were seated in the main hall of the building whilst the aspirants were taken to a conference room but were accessed or visited by members from the audience and campaign team. The claimed the lady in question was the second to present her manifesto, and the first was one Hassan.

I was also informed by them that the details of how the process will go both before and after the presentation were openly explained. Aspirants were directed to pick up declaration and consent forms detailing the processes that have been explained and the rules binding it. All aspirants (7 for President and 4 for Governors) voluntarily picked up the forms and completed them. The guy stated that he even signed as witness on a form for a friend who was aspiring for Governor position in one of the Campuses.

On their view as to what is leading to all these accusations, they claimed that the current President and few others wanted to impose the lady on them because according to them the lady is the candidate supported by the Principal and his administration. Because she was not given the go by the family she wanted to represent, the administration panicked and therefore were looking for ways to eliminate the nominated candidate of the family named Santigie Conteh. According to them, Santigie have been threatened by members of the Administration, asked to step down but never did, claimed he is not SLPP and now using this naked tin to get at the poor boy off the race. The whole issue is that the lady they claim is a bad looser. She is desperate to be elected President at all costs. We are sure, if she was nominated that night, all what is