By Tamba Tengbeh and Ishmeal Sallieu Koroma
Dr. Kadie Sesay is still alive, his family at home and abroad told the Online Patriotic Vanguard after reports emerged online the university don “had been killed twice”.
The family termed the report about the death of the former university lecturer as “fake, unfounded and a categorical lie”.
In the course of the week, news making the rounds on the social media is that the former university lecturer and seasoned politician, Dr. Kadie Sesay had passed away in the United States of America, where she has been living and seeking medical treatment.
The social media message was disturbing for many Salonese especially when this was not the first time people were sharing fake reports about her death. Several people took to social media extending condolences, whilst others expressed shock of her alleged death.
As soon as it emerged on social media, the BBC‘s Umaru Fofana was the first to dispel the social media rumour as fake news.
Umaru wrote on his Facebook: “Social media reports that Dr. Kadie Sesay has passed away are NOT TRUE, her daughter ex-CNN anchor Isha Sesay has just told me”.
“The academician and former SLPP presidential running-mate is still alive’’ he said.
In 2017 Isha also refuted the post on her twitter: “I find these rumours about my mother’s death her condition appalling. Quite frankly, the last thing my family should be dealing with”
The Dr. Kadie Sesay’s family at home and abroad, told the Online Patriotic Vanguard that social media report about the death of the former university lecturer was fake and unfounded and it is a categorical ‘lie’.
The report urged the People to govern their social media usage with decency.
“This habit of disseminating false messages about Dr. Sesay is not only embarrassing to the family, it is also disrespectful to our loved one. This has to STOP!” one of the family members said. Having the opportunity to send a message all over the world, with the click of a button, should not be abused.
Dr. Kadie Sesay was a renowned University Lecturer in the English Language Department at Fourah Bay College-University of Sierra Leone for over twenty years, a former politician of the ruling SLPP government and was running mate of the now President Julius Maada Bio in the 2012 multi-tier elections.
She was also the head of the National Commission for Democracy and later Minister of Trade and Industry.