May 20, 2021
By Ilyasa Baa
As provided for in the Local Government Act of Sierra Leone and due to persistent call from members of the public for the government to conduct the remaining Paramount Chieftaincy elections as some chiefdoms have been for years without elected Paramount Chiefs, the long awaited election for the position of Paramount Chief of Ribbi Chiefdom in Moyamba district, is imminent.
A-Z has learnt that the aspirants, mainly coming from the Mahoi family, will declare their intentions for the position on May 26th 2021 at the Court Barray in Bradford which will be attended by the District Officer (DO), officials from the Local Government Ministry, the Member of Parliament and other stakeholders in the chiefdom. Meanwhile, over ten names have come up although we have been hinted that some aspirants might drop out of the race.
The election has been postponed on a number of occasions to the dismay of the people of the chiefdom.
Now, there is light at the end of the tunnel as a definitive date has been slated on 14th June, 2021.
One of the most prominent of the aspirants, Kenneth Mahoi, has said the announcement of the date for the election is an indication that the government of President Maada Bio is a listening one having fulfilled its promise to the people.
He said as a patriot with a Master Farmer title he is bent on complementing the effort of the government towards human capital development especially in the area of food security.
‘’I have been in the bush farming since I returned from the United States of America”, he informed this medium adding that his passion and farming activities will continue even on the throne so that his people will have enough to eat and sell and even give some on charity basis.
He said the issue of housing for section chiefs is one project he will embark on if elected Paramount Chief, promising to construct a total of ten houses for Section Chiefs within the chiefdom.
He said section chiefs have contributed a lot to the development of chiefdoms but continue to face challenges beyond their control.
“You have to be looked after”, he had told a group of traditional elders in Bradford. He described their housing condition as one that needs attention considering the hardship in the chiefdom.
Kenneth Mahoi assured the people of Ribbi that it has to the time for great change in the looks of the chiefdom which he said has been left out in terms of development. He underscored the point that power is not meant for enrichment but rather to serve mankind.
He has made an undertaken to take the chiefdom from where his father and brother left it to higher height to attract investors.
He said the chiefdom is endowed with potentials that need to be tapped into for the good of the chiefdom. He mentioned the revival of the salt industry and the Masankay oil project as avenues for employment for the youths in the chiefdom.
In the area of education, Kenneth promised to sponsor two kids from each section until they reach university level. He said he had offered twenty scholarships for secondary school pupils and assisted in the construction of two schools in Mortaneh and Masampa villages.
A pepper planter in Masampa, Mariatu Kanu has called on the women of Ribbi to support the Master Farmer whom she said has been supportive towards the fight for women’s right. She said on many occasions, Kenneth stands with them whenever there is a case of gender based violence in the community.
It could be recalled that the father of this aspirant, Kene Mahoi passed away in the 90s and was succeeded by his son Foday Mahoi who did not stay long in the throne due to death.
Kenneth Mahoi, according to our findings, is the thirty-fourth child of late PC Kene Mahoi.