Amadu Wurie
Encyclopedia
Amadu Wurie was an early Sierra Leone
an educationist and politician.
, Port Loko District
, in the Northern Province
of Sierra Leone
, the son of a Fula
paramount chief
. He was educated at the Bo School
in Bo
, beginning in 1906.
In 1916, he was in the first class of Sierra Leoneans that passed the British civil service exam and was appointed the assistant headmaster of the Bo school that year. By 1935, Wurie rose to the position of Senior assistant headmaster which allowed him to be the first African to serve even temporarily as the Headmaster. From 1935 to 1955, Wurie served in various locations across the colony primarily as headmaster.
Upon national independence in 1961, Wurie was elected as a MP
under the banner of the Sierra Leone People's Party
(SLPP) as well as Minister of Education, a position he kept until he lost his seat in 1967. He then retired to Mahera in the Port Loko District
and later made a Hajj
to Mecca
. In 1973, Wurie was honoured with a degree from University of Sierra Leone
. Wurie died in June 1977 at the age of 79.
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
an educationist and politician.
Biography
Wurie was born in GbintiGbinti
Gbinti is a town in Dibia chiefdom , Port Loko District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. The town lies about 52 miles from Freetown. The inhabitant of the town are almost entirely from the Temne ethnic group. The Temne language is widely spoken in the town...
, Port Loko District
Port Loko District
Port Loko District is the most populous district in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone with a population of 489,488 Its capital is Port Loko and the largest city is Lunsar...
, in the Northern Province
Northern Province, Sierra Leone
The Northern Province is one of the four provincial divisions of Sierra Leone. It comprises five Districts and covers an area of 35,936 km² and with a population of 1,718,240 . Its administrative and economic center is Makeni...
of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, the son of a Fula
Fula people
Fula people or Fulani or Fulbe are an ethnic group spread over many countries, predominantly in West Africa, but found also in Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa...
paramount chief
Paramount chief
A paramount chief is the highest-level traditional chief or political leader in a regional or local polity or country typically administered politically with a chief-based system. This definition is used occasionally in anthropological and archaeological theory to refer to the rulers of multiple...
. He was educated at the Bo School
Bo School
The Bo Government Secondary School commonly known as Bo School is a secondary school located in Bo, the second largest city in Sierra Leone. The school was founded in 1906 at the behest of Governor Leslie Probyn to educate the sons of Paramount Chiefs in the British manner...
in Bo
Bo, Sierra Leone
Bo is the second largest city in Sierra Leone and the largest city in the Southern Province. It lies about 164 miles south-east of Freetown and had a population 149,957 in the 2004 census, with a current estimate is 231,494 . The city serve as the capital and administrative center of Bo District...
, beginning in 1906.
In 1916, he was in the first class of Sierra Leoneans that passed the British civil service exam and was appointed the assistant headmaster of the Bo school that year. By 1935, Wurie rose to the position of Senior assistant headmaster which allowed him to be the first African to serve even temporarily as the Headmaster. From 1935 to 1955, Wurie served in various locations across the colony primarily as headmaster.
Upon national independence in 1961, Wurie was elected as a MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
under the banner of the Sierra Leone People's Party
Sierra Leone People's Party
Sierra Leone People's Party is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone, along with the All People's Congress .-Formation:...
(SLPP) as well as Minister of Education, a position he kept until he lost his seat in 1967. He then retired to Mahera in the Port Loko District
Port Loko District
Port Loko District is the most populous district in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone with a population of 489,488 Its capital is Port Loko and the largest city is Lunsar...
and later made a Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
. In 1973, Wurie was honoured with a degree from University of Sierra Leone
University of Sierra Leone
The University of Sierra Leone is the name of the former unitary public university system in Sierra Leone, which, as of May 2005, was reconstitued into the individual colleges of Fourah Bay College and Njala University. It is now affiliated to many colleges in Sierra Leone.-See also:* Fourah Bay...
. Wurie died in June 1977 at the age of 79.