September 16, 2019
By Jariatu S. Bangura
Uncle of the former National Vice President of the Children’s Forum Network (CFN), Amadu Barrie, has admitted before the Justice Bankole Thompson Commission of Inquiry that he and his family persuaded Mohamed Barrie to write an apology letter to the former Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Dr. Sylvia Blyden.
Mohamed Barrie, former National Vice President of CFN had told the tribunal that he was coerced by his uncle (Amadu Barrie) and Dr. Blyden to write an apology letter to the latter.
The witness said after several complaints and rumours about the misunderstanding between Dr. Blyden and his nephew, his family asked him to do the needful in order to restore peace between them.
He informed the tribunal that initially, it was a misunderstanding between the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Children’s Forum Network, but that their family saw that there was a problem between his nephew and the then minister, which made the family to intervene.
“It was true that I persuaded Mohamed Barrie as his uncle to obey to the request of his family to write the letter in order to establish a good working relationship and not to fight the then minister, because she was old enough to be his grandmother,” Amadu Barrie confirmed to the tribunal.
He said when he heard of Dr. Blyden’s disciplinary action, he had no option but intended to flog his nephew in front of the ex-minister because of the regard they have for her as an elderly person.
He added that the family came to a conclusions that either his nephew apologises to the then minister or resigns his position.
“I went to Mummy Blyden along with Mohamed Barrie and asked her about whatever she wanted in order to restore peace. Part of the things we agreed was for my nephew to write an apology letter or he resigns his position. The letter was written by Mohamed Barrie with the assistant of Mummy Blyden. I also took the decision for my nephew to stop using the social media for a while,” he said.
He said their action was to ensure that their son grows freely and work freely without any negative emotion, hence they persuaded him to apologise.