Sierra Leone’s First Lady Fatima Maada Bio has rected defiantly to the decision by the Southwark Council to take possession of a council property linked to her.
In a Facebook post Mrs Bio whose hold on to the council flat has been under investigation since last year came out swinging.
”how do you evict a person who does not live in a property? Termination is consensual and both parties agree and sign” she said questioning the veracity of the reports which she described as stale new concocted by her detractors whose aim was to bring her down.
Discovery of her hold onto the flat had whipped up anger among British community leaders and her critics in Sierra Leone who claimed she should have vacated the flat years ago when she no longer needed it.
Mrs Bio had told the BBC in an interview that she had traveled to the Britain fleeing an arranged child marriage and was eventually provided with a flat where she had lived throoughout her stay in the country.
After her husband’s election to the presidency in Sierra Leone, she said her children who are British citizens occupied the flat located in south London.
The Sierra Leone First lady denied any wrongdoing claiming she has been paying for the council house and had therefore not fallen afoul of the law.
Some 18,000 people are on the waiting list for housing in that area of southern London where those in need have been waiting for years to be provided with flats.
Snce the BBC interview, Mrs Bio had faced a strong backlash from social campaigners in the UK and critics in her own country.
The Frst Lady continues to deny that she has been evicted but he council said the property in question will be made available to a local family in need of urgent housing.
WN/as/APA