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Former Minister and political commentator, Sylvia Olayinka Blyden has challenged reports suggesting that an invitation for Sierra Leone’s First Lady to speak at a Cambridge event was cancelled by organisers.
In a social media post on Monday, Dr Blyden said she had personally contacted the event organisers and held extensive discussions with them regarding the matter. According to her, the organisers confirmed that they never cancelled the invitation extended to the First Lady.
Dr Blyden stated that it was the First Lady herself who withdrew her consent to participate in the event, a decision she said disappointed the organisers. She further claimed that the organisers indicated they would have welcomed and been pleased to host the First Lady had she chosen to proceed with the engagement.
The former minister also rejected claims that either the organisers or Cambridge University cancelled the speaking engagement, describing such reports as false. She argued that media reports suggesting otherwise stemmed from a paraphrased article published by a London newspaper that, in her view, did not accurately reflect the organisers’ position.
Additionally, Dr Blyden alleged that the newspaper has maintained a critical stance toward the First Lady over the past fifteen months, particularly following controversies surrounding the Koidu Holdings dispute.
She concluded by urging individuals discussing the issue to independently verify the facts by contacting the organisers directly, noting that she had done so herself through a telephone conversation.
The matter continues to attract public attention as discussions persist over the circumstances surrounding the First Lady’s withdrawal from the planned Cambridge speaking engagement.
