PONDER MY THOUGHTS BY Andrew Keili HAIL TO OUR NEW PARAMOUNT - TopicsExpress



          

PONDER MY THOUGHTS BY Andrew Keili HAIL TO OUR NEW PARAMOUNT CHIEFS The year was 1995. The rebels had taken over the Sierra Rutile area and were combing the villages to look out for more illustrious hostages. Senior staff of the company and Chiefs of various sorts were in hiding in far flung out non-motorable villages. Your truly was one of them, running away with his children for two weeks, hopping from village to village. Despite my own predicament, I could not help but burst out laughing when a Village Chief I knew from the mine area, who had in his time assumed an air of importance with flowing “Bobani” robes and frequently barking out orders was reduced to a pitiful state, cowering in a little hut, reportedly under a bed. When he surfaced to ease himself someone shouted, “ Chief, how you do Sir?. He ran straight back for cover shouting at the inquisitor: “Chief business nor day nar ya, you yerri! Such was the eroding of authority brought about by the civil war that many chiefs, especially Paramount Chiefs lost their lives. Scholars like Ibrahim Abdullah and Paul Richards have written extensively on the eroding of the power of paramount Chiefs. According to Richards “corrupt and op- oppressive governance in the chiefdoms contributed to the general climate of youth alienation that propelled the nation into conflict”. Abdullah says, “Prior to the conflict, Sierra Leonean youth were historically alienated from the center of the chiefdoms’ political decision making through the customary tradition of deference to elders and by being relegated to low-level tasks “. During the war, paramount chiefs along with the other symbols of government were targeted by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). As a consequence, many chiefs either fled or were killed by the rebels, leading to a large number of vacancies in the post-war period. It is not a surprising fact that over half of the current Paramount chiefs in the 149 Chiefdoms were elected after the war ended in 2002. The institution of Paramount Chieftaincy has undergone some changes after the war but still faces immense challenges. Both Presidents Kabbah and Koroma have crowned new Paramount Chiefs several times. This continued on Monday this week with the inauguration of 14 new Paramount Chiefs. The new Chiefs include Engineers, businessmen, teachers, administrators, farmers-people from all works of life. They ranged from the young chiefs in their late 30s to older sixty somethings. It was noticeable that there was only one chief from the North as most of the elections there had been mired in controversy. There was only one woman amongst them-Chief Mariama Thamieh from Kenema District, a youngish, 37 year old ex teacher who received the loudest cheers mainly thanks to the partisan women in the crowd. The ceremony was graced by the President, Vice President, Chief Justice, the Chairperson of NEC and a whole range of Ministers and Ambassadors. The host Ministry of Local Government was ably represented by the Minister Diana Konomanyi Kabbah, the Permanent Secretary, K.O.Bah and the Director of Local Government, Mr Lebbie. There were some interesting perspectives presented by various speakers on the Chieftaincy elections which would undoubtedly present food for thought. Five chieftaincy elections are still the subject of litigation. The NEC Chairperson, Dr Christiana Thorpe was especially worried about the cost of holding Chieftaincy elections which amount to Le100 million per election and almost double this amount when they have to be rerun. She also suggested that instead of having taxpayers representatives vote (one taxpayer in 20), the system could be simplified. In her view, all registered voters in the Chiefdom should vote. The Chairman, National Council of Paramount Chiefs (NCPC), Chief Charles Caulker talked about the new code of ethics for Chiefs drawn up with Dfid’s assistance and called for inclusion of the NCPC in the new constitution. The Minister of Local Government mentioned that Government was now paying Paramount Chiefs from the consolidated fund, a fact which was endorsed by the President. The President admonished them to be in the forefront of local development issues and be proactive. Paramount Chief David Mandu Farley Keili- Coomber of Mandu Chiefdom who was ushered into State House in a hammock by a huge crowd form his Mandu Chiefdom, a Professional Engineer from the US who had been MD of London Mining gave the vote of thanks. “We thank our ancestors for preserving for us the legacy of natural rulers to our people. Most of them were wise and brave beyond measure. They had the foresight to successfully navigate their people through very uncertain times, in the era they executed peace treaties with the British Crown to become part of what we know today as the country of Sierra Leone”, he said in his vote of thanks. He praised the “wise leadership of your most honourable Minister for Local Government, whose steely resolve and keen sense of justice created atmospheres in which our people could, in large measure, freely express their will in choosing their Paramount Chiefs”. He pledged the Chiefs would work with government but lamented the “astonishing erosion of effective powers in the institution of Paramount Chieftaincy, which we have witnessed over the years”, calling for a “meaningful dialogue with Government in the coming months and years”. There have been differing views on the institution of Paramount Chieftaincy. Views from some people I interviewed years ago perhaps best encapsulate the situation. First, a supporter: “I believe an elected house of chiefs, who are the real choice of the people is a good start to developing these chiefdoms. A Chief is head of the Development Committee of the chiefdom through which most of the help is channeled and which solicits project funding for the chiefdom. A progressive chief is the start in the right direction.” Then a naysayer: “ It is not fair that only families legitimised as ruling houses by the colonial government should be entitled to contest for leadership of communities. It is undemocratic and a recipe for disaster. There may be other people in the community more fitted for leadership of those communities. How do you put up with an unprogressive young chief foisted on a chiefdom for years on end. Making chieftaincy a job for life is abhorrent” Whatever the case, Chieftaincy is an integral part of our governance structure. In rural areas, the chief is a key source of authority and a visible element of government. They are regarded as being custodians of the land. This gives them significant local powers that are magnified if that land contains valuable minerals such as diamonds. The Ministry of Local Government states categorically that chiefs should be loyal to the government whichever party is in power. In practice, however, chiefs are rarely so apolitical, and many are sympathetic to particular political parties and have political patrons at the national level and are part of wider patronage networks. Many however gravitate politically towards the government in power There has however more recently been changes in their roles instigated by the Local Government Act, causing significant friction with local councils. There is a provision in the Local Government Act, 2004 by which councils set tax rates and chiefs collect share revenue with the Councils. The Act is not however clear about the relationship between chiefs and councils in a number of key areas, including development funding, ward committees and chiefdom committees, local taxes, and the nature of responsibility with regard to land and natural resources. There are also conflicts of interest with regard to reporting and responsibilitie s. Undoubtedly the main issue of conflict, however, is likely to be finance. The Act transfers several sources of revenue previously enjoyed by the chief to the local council, including precepts from local taxes, fees, and licences. It is not surprising that there have been ere are a number of conflicts between the chiefs and the chairmen of the councils. There is obviously a need not to fudge the issue and look at the Chieftaincy issue carefully from the point of view of addressing issues of conflict and having them contribute meaningfully to national development. There is now a golden opportunity especially with more enlightened Chiefs with a higher level of education being elevated. One observer has noted: ” The optimistic view is that these chiefs will use their education and networks to protect chiefdoms against exploitative business ventures and to build constructive relationships with local councils. Another has observed ” There is a lot to be gained by using the energy and ideas of the new generation of chiefs, but the danger is allowing them to grow into a system where the old, more corrupt practices are encouraged. The harnessing of this positive group requires urgent reform of the whole chieftaincy system.” Reforming the Paramount Chieftaincy Institution is not easy as can be seen from the various issues highlighted. It obviously needs a lot of thought, consultation, resolution of the issue of overlapping mandates and above all the political will to do so. Government should not use them for partisan political gain. Rushing into reform like a bull will however be foolhardy and such reform should be undertaken with circumspection. All the same, hail to our new Paramount Chiefs who will have to work within a system where there may be a lot of “Paramount Thieves”. May they not succumb to temptation and may they serve their people diligently. And finally, hearty congratulations to my own Chief, Chief David Mandu Farley Keili- Coomber, aka “Mandu Farley” of Mandu Chiefdom. You have done us proud. Your job is as weighty as your name-I prefer to keep my own short name of plain Andrew Keili. How I wish Papa and Aunty (good for you that Papa married into the Coomber family) were there to see you inaugurated. Hail to my Chief! Ponder my thoughts.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 23:59:59 +0000

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