Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. A prominent political figure of the All People’s Congress (APC) Party, Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden, has demanded a public apology from Sierra Leone’s Speaker of Parliament, Segepoh Solomon Thomas, following a controversial incident that occurred during the recent State Opening of Parliament.
The incident involved Members of Parliament chanting “You Coco Roast Oh,” a phrase that Blyden describes as mocking and disrespectful towards First Lady Fatima Bio.
In her statement, Blyden emphasized the importance of maintaining decorum during ceremonial events. “The scenes were inflicting,” she declared, asserting that the mocking behavior was not only inappropriate but also intended to inflict emotional distress on the First Lady.
She noted that the First Lady, Vice President, and President Bio are traditionally escorted to their seats with honor during those proceedings.
Blyden criticized the nature of the chants, which she linked to the lyrics of a song by Dr. Oloh, stating that it was “maliciously done to inflict Maximum Emotional Torture” on the First Lady.
She expressed concern that such actions could set a poor example for children and foreign observers, saying, “Our children and foreign observers should Not be made to believe that what transpired in Parliament… was normal.”
Reflecting on the potential emotional impact on the First Lady, Blyden remarked, “I don’t know what emotional turmoil the Mother of the Nation went through. Only Fatima can speak on her emotional state of mind during the State Opening.”
She urged Speaker Thomas to take responsibility and apologize, recalling how previous Speakers have acknowledged their mistakes in similar situations.
She concluded her statement with a resolute demand: “We Demand! Aye, we demand for you to Apologize. Lonta.” As of now, the Speaker of Parliament has not publicly responded to the demands for an apology.
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