Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Dear William

Sir William,

 Impiari!

 Some of the uninitiated would believe that the"impi" part of the word since it's part of the English language - is related to the word  imp or  imperialist or imperialism – when that couldn't be any further  from the truth of  the friendship in greeting, IMPIARI!

That's a good educational programme you have spelled out, about stage one of wiping out tribalism – by nipping potential tribalism in the bud - at the  pre-kindergarten age,  before stage two  - " the whining schoolboy"  in the other William's  the seven ages of man ...

Methinks that it's now your duty to get Ernest Bai Koroma to lend you his ear, so that post-haste he can begin to implement your recommendations (make no mistake about it - Our Ernest is not a man of words but not of deeds / "like a garden full of weeds"; since 2007, there's a lot that he has accomplished and a lot more of course that remains to be done.

I once spent a whole afternoon at Lunsar, with Jean, one of my friends from Kalamazoo, as guests of Mr. Amadu Wurie who up to 1967 had been Minister of Education in the Margai Government. On that occasion we did discuss the matter of education, starting with  the idea of  calls one in the indigenous / mother tongues of Sierra Leoneans, and one of the things that I remember most about that visit – apart from Mr. Wurie's hospitality, was his expatiation on the Themne language - he said that Themne was related to ancient Egyptian and that later on there were many loan words from the Arabic Language, in Themne and after saying that he then dilated  on the word" Lonta" which usually comes as an "Amen" to whatever matter was being discussed , sometimes sealing a threat or a warning with "Lonta". He spent so much time on that one word that I'm sure that he must have left behind some notes about it and other matters related to the Themne Language. ( I don't know if he was attributing  the etymology  of  " Lonta" to the worship  of Ancient Egypt's Ra , under the influence of  Cheikh Anta Diop who I only discovered a little later, in Sweden in the mid 70s of the last century....( smile)

 It's interesting that you recommend that "the basic words and cultures of the major ethnic groups are taught simultaneously with English Language and a foreign language(s)starting at pre-Kindergarten..." Until I was six years old  my main language was Fullah / Fulani  - so my mother tells me -  and this was  for the simple reason that in pre-kindergarten I played mostly with  Fullah/ Fulani kids  that lived in the " compound". Sadly, I lost my Fullah language skills  from day one  in Merry England, , in Surrey,  where I spent the  first couple of months , at Reigate Kingsley manor - for the simple reason  that I had no one with whom to communicate in the Fullah/ Fulani Language... and  so, in no time at all, Queen Elisabeth took over completely,  and I don't know how,  within a few weeks. As we all know, children are very receptive when it comes to acquiring languages – any kind of languages - Dutch, Hebrew, Winnie the Pooh, I guess  Mende and Themne too....

True: Temper-mentally, I'm Temne.  Like O'Bai

The Mendes (big prejudice coming up) are less quick on the draw and that's been my experience to date – that they like to discuss whereas with some other people it's more of "shoot first and ask questions later!" I think that the "like to discuss" is a result of the influence of mostly the Irish Catholic priests since (I'm talking about my generation) most of them (e.g. James Allie, Arthur Abraham,  Jimmy Kandeh?) attended Catholic Mission schools like St. Edwards and the CKC, where they were taught and encouraged to discuss; it must also be intrinsic to Mende Culture and maybe to the structure of Mende government, but mamouton – what do I know about anything ?

Many of those who attended the Prince of Wales School and were members of our literary and debating society, also like to discuss and some of those who attended the Albert Academy such as my dear friend, the late Victor Sumner were also of that calibre – liked to discuss and here I'm thinking of the Israeli tiger Yitzhak Shamir who once said "We are prepared to negotiate forever!"

Arrogance is something of which the Almighty disapproves. Very strongly. What you say, that "Illiteracy is a code word for "kontri man" I didn't know before, but now that you say it, I hear it and I dislike it as intensely as I dislike some (from my point of view) other illiterates who assiduously cultivating their own mythological self-image would like you to believe that they are the most educated people in the world, some even exalting themselves as being more educated than the Prophet of Islam (S.a.w).  "Idiot" is their favourite word.

 As for me, all I know is that I am a Yoruba man.

This illiteracy business was being discussed here , just the other day...

 Sir William, as you may recollect( If  I'm incorrect please correct me) one of the reasons advanced by  Brigadier David Lansana ( Albert's brother-in-law)  and some of the SLPP apologists at that time, was that the members of the House of Chiefs  had yet to declare their allegiance to either the SLPP or the APC  when the Governor- General  Sir Henry  Lightfoot Boston allegedly jumped the gun and appointed Mr. Stevens  and that it was only that final count that would determine who  - Margai or Stevens  was in a better position to command a Parliamentary(?) majority and thus be able to form  the next government.

 The Sierra Leone constitution at that time did not have any such stipulation of course.

So once again a question to you: Even given  the full range of differences that attach  to the status and power  of Paramount Chiefs  from the East  to the West  from the South to the North , at least all sections/ chiefdoms, ethnicities are  fully and equally represented  through the traditional power  invested in the chiefs  and that's something that creates a very important equilibrium , if the office of chieftaincy is depoliticized . The question to you is, how do you think that (the depoliticization of the Chieftaincy and indeed of the army, can be accomplished?

I hope that this gets through and that we hear from you soon, or that we could cover much more extensively on the phone.

 Sincerely,

We Sweden

ORBai CH,

 I once suggested in Kabs- Kanu's forum that we emulate the Nigeria National Youth Corps concept ä- to enhance the social mobility and intercourse between and among Sierra Leone's various ethnic groups in order to diminish suspicion and misunderstandings, since culturally, the various groups have so much in common.

The issue of tribalism will be very difficult to resolve because Humanity is shaped by our ethnicity, culture, region and our experiences. Your statement is very telling:

"N.B. Temperamentally, I'm Temne – don't take any bull"

What is very fascinating is that my generation is very tribal than our parents, though most of us have been more acquainted.

In the company of acquaintances from different ethnic groups there are such subtleties, "The socio-economic and political problems of Sierra Leone are due to illiteracy." Illiteracy is a code word for "kontri man". But the difference between these critics is that they though they are "lettered", they are 'political illiterates'. Most of these "illiterate kontris" are more political savvy than their educated brethren.

To minimize the influence of tribalism there has to be a very good educational system where the basic words and cultures of the major ethnic groups are taught simultaneously with English Language and a foreign language(s) starting at pre-Kindergarten through Class VII.

These students should also experience the fundamentals of politics by organizing social and political clubs. There should be a reverse of political  alliances where the children of a particular political party will become members of the opposition. This will not only educate them on the political process with the selection of members, but the ideologies of the differing parties.

WB

On Sat, Feb 1, 2014 at 11:49 AM, Cornelius Hamelberg <cornelius...@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear WB,

Wan Seke yo!

 First and foremost - Dayan Ha emet - this is the first that I'm hearing about the passing away of Col (Rtd) Tom Nyuma R.I.P. I don't know whether or not he deserves a national funeral but if he is accorded one, this is one more piece of evidence that testifies to the goodwill and magnanimity of Our Ernest - Ernest Bai Koroma.  The last I heard was about Tom Nyuma recuperating in his hospital bed and praising the Almighty with these words, "God bless Ernest Koroma!" .  If you remember rightly, Our Ernest had saved Tom Nyuma's life when some of the good for nothing were caught red-handed picking the lock to the hotel room where our Ernest was staying overnight during his electioneering campaign in the South - Our Ernest's bodyguards had caught ex- colonel Nyuma picking the lot and were in the process of giving him the beating of his life, when Our Ernest appeared on the scene and ordered that the beating stop...

Isn't it amazing the twists and turns of this dialogue still going on under the rubric "Great news: Brother Obama to invite 47 African heads of state to a summit on August 5th-6th, 2014"

Well, (absurd question coming), would it be ok if Brother Obama invited Brother Cornelius  to dinner, at the White House or would you object to that too?

N.B. Temperamentally, I'm Temne – don't take any bull.

Whether you object or not, you have just given me one more reason to return to the East Coast one of these days, so that I can tap more relevance from the horse's mouth – in this instance you are the horse in question and as you are of course aware, this is the first day of the Chinese New Year , let me also wish you a happy new year, the year of the horse  - which in the Chinese zodiac  symbolises good luck and according to a book of symbols , "the followers of  Buddha revere horses, especially white horses that are symbolical of purity and faithfulness " and  she adds that  "the horse is one of the Seven treasures of Buddha, symbolic of indestructibility". I do hope dear William (as in William the Conqueror/ dear William Shakespeare and dear Prince William) – no colour discrimination please - that you don't mind taking on the status and stature of white instead of an honourable black steed.

Thinking of the roots of anti-British colonialism. Where would you start+ With Farma Tami? Idara Kontorfili was Susu (like my dear Abdulai Conteh) and not Temne. Intili? As for President Ernest Bai Koroma, since he is of Limba and Temne parentage I wonder why you say that he too hates the Temnes of Tonkolili lineage when he himself is of that ancestry

Of course we usually do not have any say-so in the matter of where we are born, our parentage or tribe – wherever we may incarnate in Africa, India, and China, in Jerusalem, in Mecca or in Lima which is in Peru – so no one should be held blameworthy for merely being born, here or there.

Does religion play any role in the Temnes' self-definition, I wonder. Up till now, I know nothing about indigenous Temne religion. I know a little more about the LiImba, mostly through Ruth Finegan's collection "Limba Short Stories and story-telling"

And we were all amazed about the bad blood and dissension swirling around the appointment of a Mende Bishop as head of the Makeni Diocese in the heart of Temne land, were we not?   Children of one flock, the flock of Jesus the good Shepherd but the Temnes would have none of it!

Although I spent a complete rainy season in Port Lokko (when my step-father Mr. John Patrick Johnson ( affectionately  known by the Temnes as "Johnson-Kamara ") was stationed there – I did not meet many people  and what I mostly remember is my sense of wonderment  walking in the forests,  and often being pelted by the monkey hopping from branch to branch – hers of moneys  - I've never seen so many moneys in my life – and I hope that they mostly survived the rebel war and are still there. I'm more familiar with Makeni and Magburaka of course. Sadly, I have still never been South of Bo , but have passed through Bo , Kenema and Kailahun a couple of times.  Are you yourself familiar with the South? I once suggested in Kabs- Kanu's forum that we emulate the Nigeria National Youth Corps concept ä- to enhance the social mobility and intercourse between and among Sierra Leone's various ethnic groups in order to diminish suspicion and misunderstandings, since culturally, the various groups have so much in common.

 Kindly permit and be patient as Cornelius Ignoramus makes the following observation: At this stage through reading Arthur Abraham's thesis on Mende government we are at least aware about that distinctive aspect of Mende culture  and even about the role of the female Mende chief as in the illustrious example of the late Madam Ella Koblo Gulama - but we are not aware of any similar distinctive role the feminine power in Temne governance at even the village level. This absence of the Temne woman at the highest levels traditional Temne government gives me the idea that somehow that is why despite her proven sterling quality as minister of trade and industry in  Pa Kabbah's very inclusive  SLPP government, Madam Kadi Sesay as running mate to Julius Maada Bio was not able to galvanise and deliver a good portion of the Temne vote to Bra Bio in the last Sierra Leone presidential elections.

If you choose not to say more about the Temnes reverence for the Chieftaincy and love of transparent government, we can reserve the matter till we meet in the US. What I'd like to hear from you is how does the Temnes' love for transparent government translate to the same love of transparent government at a national level - including all the other regions and tribes in a more composite Sierra Leone.

 You have described yourself as a proud Temne and with Pan-Africanist credentials too, so for both of us the question is how do we solve the problem of negative tribalism? The cynics  snigger and the realists cry that if we can't achieve unity  within our own backyard ( our own little national domain)  then how are we  going to achieve a continental government that Stretches  from the Arab- Berber territories of Tripoli and Benghazi in the North, through  Bangui all the way to the Cape?

 These are some of the questions we will have to grapple with for some time to come.

 The Sabbath is now over and I'll soon be on my way to my nearest Temne brother, Yulisa...

 Sincerely,

A proud Yoruba man

We Sweden

 

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