NEWS Independence Memory Lane: Siaka Stevens, 43 APC Leaders Arrested....Under State of Emergency Act Posted by on Apr 26, 2009, 12:00

Late President Siaka Stevens Inspecting Guard of Honour..After He Was Installed as President

Sierra Leone was the latest West African state to win independence, after more than 150 years of British colonial rule. The new nation was born at the stroke of midnight, when it’s green, white and blue flag was unfurled. A huge crowd, gathered at the Brookfields playing ground in Freetown to watch the historic moment that broke into tumultuous cheering.Independence Day celebration began when the Duke of Kent handed over the royal instruments recognizing Sierra Leone as an independent nation.

Sir Maurice Dorman, governor was sworn in as Governor-General by Chief Justice Beoku Betts and messages of welcome from Harold Macmillan and the Queen to the new government led by the Prime Minister Sir Milton Margai.

Independence festivities have been taking place all week, mainly centered on the harbour area of Freetown. Three days of public holidays have been declared, and the city in party mood and streets decorated with bunting and the new national colours of Green, White and Blue everywhere. But the build-up was overshadowed by the state of emergency, declared ten days ago following an alleged campaign of sabotage by the opposition All People’s Congress Party (APC).The party has been urging that independence should be postponed until free elections are held. The leader of the APC, Siaka Stevens, was arrested just over a week ago, along with his right-hand man, Wallace Johnston, and other party members. The claim was that they had been planning a general strike to coincide with the independence celebrations, and it was feared riots would break out if the strike went ahead.

Sierra Leone's Siaka P Stevens decorating Guinea's Ahmed Sekou Toure

The government in Freetown was insisting that elections will be held next year, as agreed under the terms of independence. The SLPP Ministers say the arrests were made to protect those visiting the country for the ceremonies, and they say, there was every intention to release those detained as soon as the ceremonies are over. Sierra Leone made an initially peaceful transition to independence. In 1967, the APC came to power under Siaka Stevens, who became President in 1971.

However, prior to that; constitutional improvements were made in 1951. The legislative Council was increased to 30 members, excluding the governor. There were 7 official members and 7 unofficial members elected in the colony; the protectorate elected 14 members indirectly. While 12 of the protectorate members were elected through District Councils, the remaining 2 were nominated by the Protectorate Assembly. In 1952, some Sierra Leoneans were given cabinet positions for the first time.

In 1957, the Legislative Council was replaced by the House of Representatives, which consisted of 57 members. They included a speaker, 14 colony representatives, 25 protectorate representatives, and twelve paramount chief representatives. The constitution was replaced later by the 1961 independence constitution. In 1959, it would be recalled Margai skillfully used tasteful methods to win the support of the moderate Krio opposition elements and his brother Albert; they joined Margai’s United Front coalition. The aim of the coalition was to proceed to London for the constitutional conference.

Margai rewarded the Krio opposition leaders C.B. Rogers Wright (leader of the United People’s Party, or UPP) and Dixon Thomas with cabinet positions in his government. His brother Albert was appointed minister of agriculture. All of them became members of the SLPP. The coalition was now ready to proceed to London for constitutional talks for Sierra Leone’s Independence.

In 1959, Margai was awarded a knighthood. The only opposition force remaining was that of Siaka Stevens, who formed the All People’s Congress Party in 1960 with the slogan “elections before independence. “He tried to win the support of young men, women and teachers in the urban areas, but not too successful as Sir Milton Margai had already infiltrated and influenced most of the elite, the Krios assured him of their support.

The Sierra Leone constitutional conference was held in Lancaster House, London, in 1960 and a new constitution was drawn up  for the country. The independence constitution provided for a governor general as head of state with ceremonial functions, and a prime minister, and a cabinet. Sierra Leone became an independent state on April 27, 1961, with Margai as prime minister. She became the 100^th member of the United Nations with Margai’s cabinet broadly based. Kandeh Bureh became Minister of Transport and Communications, while Dr. John Karefa Smart was appointed Minister of External Affairs, Ahmadu Wurie was appointed Minister of Education, and Albert Margai Minister of Finance. G. Dixon Thomas, Mohammad Samusi Mustapha, and paramount Chief Madam Ella Kobolo Gulama were also given cabinet position. Gulama became the first female cabinet minister of Sierra Leone under the Margai regime.

Margai’s ministership witnessed the visit of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh to Sierra Leone in 1961.Sierra Leone was a stable and progressive nation during Margai’s tenure as prime minister. He died on April 28, 1964 a day after the third anniversary of Sierra Leone’s independence celebration. His brother Albert Margai succeeded him as prime minister.

By then, Siaka Stevens (1905-1988) was the co-founder of the United Mine Workers Union, a very powerful union which contributed to his appointment to Sierra Leone’s Protectorate assembly in 1946 to represent the workers’ interests. He was elected to the Legislative Council in 1951, and in 1952 he was appointed Minister of Lands, Mines, and Labour.

He won the 1957 general election to the House of Representatives as member for the Port Loko East constituency; an election petition, however, resulted in his losing the seat. He later became the deputy leader and secretary general of the People’s National Party (PNP).

In July 1960, Stevens, who was a member of the PNP delegation to the London constitution talks for Sierra Leone’s independence, refused to sign the independence arrangement with Britain, citing the defense clause as a factor. He returned to Sierra Leone and launched his “elections before independence” movement as a protest against the United Front Coalition, which eventually crystallized into a formidable political party. The ruling Sierra Leone People’s party (SLPP) accused the APC leadership of attempting to sabotage the independence celebrations of 1961. Consequently, 43 APC leaders, including Stevens, himself were arrested and detained under a state of emergency act.

According to colonial and historical records, Sir Milton Augustus Strieby Margai worked in most of the government hospitals in Sierra Leone. In fact, while working as a government medical doctor, he was involved in modernizing midwife service; he trained local instructors who taught the sande women about hygiene, delivery, child care, and literacy. He also prevailed on the women to include the literacy program in their initiation ceremonies. Consequently, and wrote a book that explained midwifery methods among the native women.

Margai retired from active government medical service in 1950 and established his own private practice in Bo; he was a well-reputed surgeon. During his free time, he engaged himself in politics, and he was listed as a Bonthe district council representative in the protectorate assembly in 1947. He was also a founding member of the first protectorate newspaper. The Sierra Leone Observer in 1949, Margai participated actively in the Protectorate Educational Progressive Union. A skillful politician, he was able to convince. Etheldred N. Jones (Lamina Sankoh) to merge his People’s Party with the Sierra Leone Organization Society to form the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) with the slogan “one country, one people”, Margai became the party’s first chairman. He became leader of government business after the 1951 elections. There were six other members of his party who were given government departments to administer.

A tasteful politician, Margai’s rise witnessed an atmosphere of antagonism and acrimony between the Krio (Creole) educated elite and the protectorate politicians and chiefs. In 1947, when the colonial administration ushered in constitutional reforms that would give the protectorate assembly members a majority of the seats in the legislative council, the Krio community vehemently opposed the idea, Led by Bankole Bright, the Krio looked down on the illiterate chiefs, whom they described as savages and unfit to sit in the same legislative council. Margai rebuked the Krio faction, and the protectorate chiefs and educated elite united against them. With the introduction of the Stevenson’s constitution in 1951, which provided for an African majority in the legislative and executive councils, it was not surprising to see the SLPP emerge victorious in the subsequent general elections. The party captured 41 seats (versus 9 for the opposition).

The protectorate chiefs supported the SLPP overwhelmingly; in fact, it was widely believed that any political party that won the support of the protectorate would emerge as the winner. This was why the SLPP had an edge over the Krio opposition forces.