Banja Tejan-Sie
Encyclopedia
Sir Banja Tejan-Sie, GCMG
(7 August 1917 – 8 August 2000) was a politician and lawyer in Sierra Leone
and one of the "founding fathers" of the Sierra Leone People's Party
(SLPP). Tejan-Sie was born in Moyamba District
(in the current Southern Province
) to a famous Muslim
cleric and scholar from the Fulah tribe
. Tejan-Sie was educated at the Bo School
and the Prince of Wales
School before continuing his education at the London School of Economics
and Lincoln's Inn
, where he was called to the bar
in 1951.
, who became Governor-General
. In 1967, a military coup overthrew the government and set up the National Reformation Council
. Tejan-Sie was appointed to the position of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, which he held until 1968. In that same year, when civilian control was restored, Tejan-Sie was appointed to the position of Governor-General. In 1971, when Sierra Leone was declared a republic
, Tejan-Sie went into exile in England
, where lived for the duration of his life, although he did visit Sierra Leone again in 1987 at the behest of then President Joseph Saidu Momoh
.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(7 August 1917 – 8 August 2000) was a politician and lawyer in 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...
and one of the "founding fathers" 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). Tejan-Sie was born in Moyamba District
Moyamba District
Moyamba District is a district in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone with a population of 260,910 in the 2004 census. Its capital and largest city is Moyamba. The other major towns include Njala, Rotifunk and Shenge...
(in the current Southern Province
Southern Province, Sierra Leone
The Southern Province is one of three provinces of Sierra Leone. It covers an area of 19,694 km² and has a population of 1,377,067 . It consists of four districts . Its capital and administrative center is Bo, which is also the second largest and second most populated city in Sierra Leone...
) to a famous Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
cleric and scholar from the Fulah tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
. Tejan-Sie 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...
and the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
School before continuing his education at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
and Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
, where he was called to the bar
Call to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
in 1951.
Political career
In 1951, Tejan-Sie lost an election for a seat in the Parliament. Despite this, Tejan-Sie was appointed as one of two National Vice Presidents of SLPP in 1953. However, in 1957, after losing his second election, Tejan-Sie began a career in the judiciary. In 1962, Tejan-Sie was elected to the position made empty in the legislature of Speaker of the House by Henry Josiah Lightfoot BostonHenry Josiah Lightfoot Boston
Sir Henry Josiah Lightfoot Boston was a Sierra Leonean diplomat and politician. He was the first indigenous Governor-General of Sierra Leone...
, who became Governor-General
Governor-General
A Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
. In 1967, a military coup overthrew the government and set up the National Reformation Council
National Reformation Council
The National Reformation Council, or NRC, was a group of senior military officers with Brigadier Andrew Juxon-Smith as its chairman, who seized control of the Sierra Leone government on March 23, 1968...
. Tejan-Sie was appointed to the position of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, which he held until 1968. In that same year, when civilian control was restored, Tejan-Sie was appointed to the position of Governor-General. In 1971, when Sierra Leone was declared a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
, Tejan-Sie went into exile in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where lived for the duration of his life, although he did visit Sierra Leone again in 1987 at the behest of then President Joseph Saidu Momoh
Joseph Saidu Momoh
Major General Joseph Saidu Momoh was the President of Sierra Leone from November, 1985 to April 29, 1992.- Biography :...
.