Southern Arena, Bo City, 22 May 2024- Amb. Tamba Lamina, the Minister of Local Government and Community Affairs (MLGCA) has presented newly elected Paramount Chiefs of Njala Komboya, Kpanda Kemoh, Nogoba Bullom, KamaduguYiraia, Dia Chiefdom, Gaura, Nieni, Tamiso, Gbense, Kowa, Ribbi and Lokomasama Chiefdoms to President Bio for coronation as enshrined in the 1991 constitution of Sierra Leone.
In his statement, Amb Tamba Lamina said section 72 of the national constitution makes Paramount Chieftaincy an entrenched clause and that when once one is elected Paramount Chief, they serve for a lifetime.
He continued that the Ministry had previously organized similar events in Port Loko, Kambia, and Kono but what made the one in Bo more special was the fact that two females were among the newly elected Paramount Chiefs for recognition. He maintained that among other functions, the Local Government Ministry supervises the 22 Local Councils and the 190 Chiefdoms and that the Ministry has its objectives of maintaining peace and stability of the communities and also making sure that the leaders of those communities work in line with the said objectives.
He revealed that as a Ministry they have also worked with the institution of Chieftaincy in line with the manifesto commitment of President Bio to give it the kind of respect that it requires and that the people of Sierra Leone have seen clear evidence of how the status of Paramount Chiefs have improved under the New Direction Leadership ranging from increment of their salaries, their direct involvement in the national development plans of the Government, and to providing them with vehicles for their day-to-day movement in their Chiefdoms.
He however appealed to Paramount Chiefs who were not among those that benefited from the first set of 45 vehicles to be patient as each and every Paramount Chief is entitled to one and that they will surely get it. He thanked them for holding the forth peace and stability of their Chiefdoms and diligently working with the government of the day. He ended by stating that the 12 Paramount Chiefs that he was about to present to President Bio for official recognition went through a day’s orientation process where they were taught about the DOs and DON’Ts in Chiefdom governance and had the opportunity to hear the experiences of other successful Paramount Chiefs.
In response, President Bio thanked Minister Lamina and his team including those in the Provinces and Chiefdoms for providing the required oversight for the electioneering process of the 12 Paramount Chiefs presented to him for coronation. He added by congratulating the 12 Paramount Chiefs in question and expressed his sincere commitment to supporting and working with them.
“I hold the institution of Paramount Chieftaincy in high esteem not only because I am a son of a Paramount Chief, but most importantly because I am conscious of the fact that our local government architecture is the bedrock upon which our national governance is anchored,” he said while underscoring that even if the Government has all the structures at the top, the building blocks of national architecture including governance and security start from the Chiefdoms.
He continued that when the local institutions and Paramount Chiefs are functional, it becomes easier for national command structure and development support programs to be cascaded at the local levels. He further appealed to the Paramount Chiefs to stay in their Chiefdoms instead of relocating to cities because it’s only when they are with their people they would be able to govern well.
President Bio pointed out that the recognition of Paramount Chiefs meets the provisional requirements enshrined in part 4 subsection 17 (a) of the Chieftaincy Act 2009, but that it’s a moment for the Paramount Chiefs to reflect on the mantle of leadership in the development of the Country. He said the recognition of the Paramount Chiefs is to make sure that they provide leadership that would enhance development in their Chiefdoms.
He admonished all the Paramount Chiefs present that keeping the peace is the most important function of the traditional institution as it is the key to the Country’s security and sustainable development. He encouraged the residents of the Chiefdoms to support their Chiefs in the governance of their localities.
He later talked about his Big 5 agenda and the benefits the country stands to get if everyone supports its implementation. He addressed the misinformation going around that there is going to be another general election before 2028 as false and misleading. He referred to bad politicians who want to use divisiveness to score political points as enemies of the state and encouraged the people to reject them.
The coronation ceremony was attended by the entire leadership of the Local Government Ministry including the Deputy Minister, Alfred Moi Jamiru, the Permanent Secretary, Thomas B Lansana, Director of Local Government, Brima Newman Combay, Deputy Secretary, Alusine A. Joque, the Provincial Secretaries and District Officers of North, South and Eastern Regions, most Ministers of Government and their Deputies, media outlets across the country, amongst others.
For more details:
Frederick V. Kanneh
Information Officer
MLGCA
