President Bio Hands Over Staffs of Office to Newly Coronated Paramount Chiefs in Kono

His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has officially coronated four Paramount Chiefs from the Southern and Eastern regions of Sierra Leone, handing over their staffs of office and urging them to support the national drive for food self-reliance under the Feed Salone initiative.

The four newly coronated Paramount Chiefs are Amy Mitta Myers Benya VI of the Benya Ruling House, Small Bo Chiefdom, Kenema District; Larry Bojohn Fangawa IV of the Fangawa Ruling House, Wandor Chiefdom, Kenema District; Mohamed Kpakra Massally of the Kpakra Massally Ruling House, Perri Chiefdom, Pujehun District; and Usman Ansumana Wai II of the Wai Ruling House, Barri Chiefdom, Pujehun District.

Provincial Secretary of the Eastern Region, Ishaka Murana Turay, said the event was both symbolic and constitutional, fulfilling the provisions of the 1991 Constitution and the Chieftaincy Act, which grant the President authority to formally recognize Paramount Chiefs after their election. He reminded the chiefs of their duty to maintain peace, order, and development in their respective chiefdoms.

Minister of Local Government and Community Affairs, Tamba John Sylvanus Lamina, thanked President Bio for his continued support to traditional leadership and presented the chiefs for official recognition.

In his address, President Bio congratulated the new Paramount Chiefs and commended the Ministry of Local Government and the Eastern Regional Secretariat for ensuring a credible selection process. He called on the chiefs to lead by example and contribute to national efforts toward food security.

The President encouraged them to make land available for large-scale farming, emphasizing that Sierra Leone possesses enough fertile land to achieve rice self-sufficiency. He also urged them to prioritize education and innovation as vital tools for community development.

The ceremony concluded with the symbolic handover of the traditional staffs of office, marking the chiefs’ full assumption of their roles as custodians of peace, tradition, and progress in their chiefdoms.