PRESIDENT
KOROMA
INAUGURATES
JUSTICE
TIMBO
AS
NEW
FULLAH
CHIEF
The
newly
appointed
Fullah
Community
Chief
for
the
Western
Area,
former
Chief
Justice
Abdulai
B.
Timbo,
was
today
formerly
presented
to
President
Ernest
Bai
Koroma
at
State
House.
The
chairman
for
the
occasion,
Political
Affairs
Minister
Alpha
Kanu,
described
the
new
Fullah
Chief
as
having
the
characteristics
of a
good
leader,
whom
many
will
follow.
He
said
Chief
Timbo’s
appointment
is a
clear
manifestation
of
the
President’s
commitment
to
local
government,
in
line
with
the
APC
manifesto.
In
his
statement,
the
Minister
of
Local
Government,
Dauda
Kamara,
referred
to
the
appointment
as a
big
honour
for
the
Fullah
Community.
In
giving
a
brief
background
of
the
new
chief,
Minister
Kamara
said
Justice
Timbo
was
born
in
1938,
attended
the
Magburaka
Boys
Secondary
and
Bo
Schools
before
proceeding
to
England
to
read
Law
and
acquired
Bachelor’s,
Master’s
and
Doctoral
degrees.
On
returning
home,
he
worked
as
State
Counsel,
subsequently
went
into
private
practice
and
then
later
appointed
Appeal
Court
Judge
and
Justice
of
the
Supreme
Court
before
becoming
Chief
Justice.
On
retirement,
he
was
appointed
Chairman
of
the
Political
Parties
and
Registration
Commission
(PPRC).
Presenting
the
letter
of
appointment,
the
Minister
said,
“His
Excellency
the
President
has
directed
me
to
appoint
you
as
Tribal
Headman
of
the
Fullah
Community
in
the
Western
Area…As
Minister,
I
heartily
welcome
the
appointment…”
He
assured
that
the
new
chief
will
make
a
meaningful
contribution
towards
local
government
and
work
closely
with
the
Mayor
of
Freetown
and
the
country
as a
whole
to
manifest
his
leadership
qualities.
Speaking
at
the
occasion,
Chief
Justice
Timbo
thanked
President
Koroma
for
the
history-making
appointment,
as
he
is
the
first
holder
of a
PhD
and
the
first
former
Chief
Justice
to
become
a
Fullah
Headman.
He
said
he
would
have
chosen
to
remain
quiet
or
would
have
gone
abroad,
but
he
had
come
to a
full
realization
that
the
President
meant
well
for
the
nation
and
needed
additional
support.
He
pledged
to
bring
his
expertise
and
experience
into
the
job
in
supporting
the
President
in
building
a
better
nation,
especially
in
the
area
of
interpreting
the
law
to
his
people.
Chief
Timbo
called
upon
his
opponent
to
join
hands
with
him
and
work
together
for
the
good
of
the
Fullah
community
and
Sierra
Leone.
He
openly
appointed
Hon.
Chernor
Bah
as
his
Political
Affairs
Man.
Addressing
the
gathering,
mainly
composed
of a
cross-section
of
the
Fullah
Community,
President
Koroma
said
he
was
happy
to
receive
the
new
Chief
as
Head
of
the
Fullah
Community,
who
had
waited
for
far
too
long
for
this
moment.
He
observed
that
the
Fullahs
have
come
a
long
way
in
trying
to
build
and
advance
their
community,
“and
we
should
be
proud
of
them.”
President
Koroma
recalled
some
of
their
various
apprehensions
about
his
presidency
prior
to
the
presidential
election
which
he
said
have
all
been
proven
wrong,
noting
that
the
Fullahs
now
have
more
freedom
than
before.
According
to
President
Koroma,
no
country
can
develop
without
peace,
quietness,
law
and
order.
“Under
this
administration,
and
the
new
leadership
you
have
got,
I
urge
you
to
work
together,
respect
the
law,
maintain
the
peace,
and
work
within
the
framework
of
the
law,”
he
told
the
audience.
On
the
chief’s
selection,
President
Koroma
said,
“I
carefully
looked
at
his
background
and
appointed
him
because
I
believe
he
can
deliver
and
provide
the
required
leadership
for
the
Fullahs
at
this
point
in
time,”
promising
to
give
his
full
support
to
the
Fullah
community.
He
however
emphasized
that
he
will
not
hesitate
to
apply
the
law
where
and
when
necessary,
making
mention
of
the
wind
of
change
blowing
against
corruption
at
Customs.
“If
they
don’t
get
tired,
I
will
not
get
tired,”
he
asserted.
The
President
noted
that
by
virtue
of
Justice
Timbo’s
background,
a
lot
is
expected
from
him,
even
in
pursuing
the
objectives
of
the
government’s
Agenda
for
Change.
He
ended
by
again
congratulating
the
new
chief
and
calling
on
the
entire
Fullah
community
to
support
him.
Hon
Chernor
Bah
gave
the
vote
of
thanks.
THE
PRESS
SECRETARIAT
STATE
HOUSE
02
MARCH
2010
