Patricia Kabbah
Encyclopedia
Patricia Kabbah was the wife of Sierra Leone
's 3rd President, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
; was First Lady
of Sierra Leone
from 1996 until her death in 1998. She was an ethnic Sherbro
from Bonthe District
, in the Southern Province
of Sierra Leone.
, Bonthe District
, in the Southern Province
of Sierra Leone, to ethnic Sherbro
parents. She attended St. Joseph’s Convent Primary School in Bonthe
and St. Joseph’s Convent Secondary School in Freetown
. She was later employed by the Catholic Mission to teach English and French at St. Joseph’s Secondary School in Freetown.
After two years of teaching, Miss Tucker studied in the United States
and received her Bachelor's degree
in English
at the University of Toledo
, in Toledo
, Ohio
in 1959 and a Master's degree
in French Language
at the University of Chicago
, in Chicago
, Illinois
in 1963.
Milton Margai
's administration. During this time she met and married eventual president of Sierra Leone, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah in 1965. She went with Kabbah to England
where they both studied law.
She joined her husband in Lesotho
where she commenced the practice of law in the chambers of the distinguished jurist, where she was the sole female attorney in the entire country. She also practiced law in Tanzania
and became involved in diplomatic activities such as reporting on the legal status of the African child and mother at UNICEF.
The family moved to New York
in 1981 where Mrs Kabbah obtained a Political Affairs Research appointment at the De-colonization Committee of the United Nations
. She was later promoted as Head of the Executive Office, Department of Political Affairs, De-colonization of Trusteeship, with special responsibility for Budget, Personnel and General Administration. Mrs Kabbah also taught French and English at the City University of New York
.
. When the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC), a military government under the leadership of Brigadier General
Julius Maada Bio
organised general election in 1996, the country's first general election since March, 1967, her husband Ahmad Tejan Kabbah of the Sierra Leone People's Party
(SLPP) emerged victorious and became the new president of Sierra Leone; Patricia then became the first lady until her death in 1998..
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...
's 3rd President, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah served as President of Sierra Leone from 1996 to 1997 and again from 1998 to 2007.He worked for the United Nations Development Programme and returned to Sierra Leone in 1992...
; was First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
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...
from 1996 until her death in 1998. She was an ethnic Sherbro
Sherbro people
The Sherbro people are a native people of Sierra Leone, who speak the Sherbro language; they make up 3% of Sierra Leone's population or about 201,000. They are also known as the Bullom people...
from Bonthe District
Bonthe District
Bonthe District comprises several islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the southwestern coast of Sierra Leone and a mainland area. Its capital is the town of Mattru Jong and the largest town in the district is Bonthe, on Sherbro Island and the town of Masabendu....
, in the 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...
of Sierra Leone.
Early life and teaching career
Patricia Tucker was born on March 17, 1933 in GbapGBAP
Glucosidase, beta; acid, pseudogene, also known as GBAP, is a human gene.-Further reading:...
, Bonthe District
Bonthe District
Bonthe District comprises several islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the southwestern coast of Sierra Leone and a mainland area. Its capital is the town of Mattru Jong and the largest town in the district is Bonthe, on Sherbro Island and the town of Masabendu....
, in the 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...
of Sierra Leone, to ethnic Sherbro
Sherbro people
The Sherbro people are a native people of Sierra Leone, who speak the Sherbro language; they make up 3% of Sierra Leone's population or about 201,000. They are also known as the Bullom people...
parents. She attended St. Joseph’s Convent Primary School in Bonthe
Bonthe
Bonthe is a town located on Sherbro Island in Bonthe District of the southern Province of Sierra Leone. The town had a population of 9,535 in the 2004 census, with a current estimate of 10,206. In colonial times it used to be a major trading centre for piassava and other agricultural products...
and St. Joseph’s Convent Secondary School in Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
. She was later employed by the Catholic Mission to teach English and French at St. Joseph’s Secondary School in Freetown.
After two years of teaching, Miss Tucker studied in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and received her Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
at the University of Toledo
University of Toledo
The University of Toledo is a public university in Toledo, Ohio, United States. The Carnegie Foundation classified the university as "Doctoral/Research Extensive."-National recognition:...
, in Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
in 1959 and a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in French Language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
in 1963.
Career
She returned to Sierra Leone in 1963 where she was appointed Assistant Secretary, under former Sierra Leone's Prime MinisterPrime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Milton Margai
Milton Margai
Sir Milton Augustus Strieby Margai was a Sierra Leonean politician and the first prime minister of Sierra Leone...
's administration. During this time she met and married eventual president of Sierra Leone, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah in 1965. She went with Kabbah to 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 they both studied law.
She joined her husband in Lesotho
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
where she commenced the practice of law in the chambers of the distinguished jurist, where she was the sole female attorney in the entire country. She also practiced law in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
and became involved in diplomatic activities such as reporting on the legal status of the African child and mother at UNICEF.
The family moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1981 where Mrs Kabbah obtained a Political Affairs Research appointment at the De-colonization Committee of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. She was later promoted as Head of the Executive Office, Department of Political Affairs, De-colonization of Trusteeship, with special responsibility for Budget, Personnel and General Administration. Mrs Kabbah also taught French and English at the City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
.
Politics
Mrs Kabbah moved back to Sierra Leone in 1995. During that time she accepted the chairmanship of the committee established to formulate plans for a return to civilian government, and to draft a new constitutionConstitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
. When the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC), a military government under the leadership of Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Julius Maada Bio
Julius Maada Bio
Brigadier Julius Maada Bio is a Sierra Leonean politician who was the military Head of State of Sierra Leone from January 16, 1996 to March 29, 1996 under the National Provisional Ruling Council military junta government....
organised general election in 1996, the country's first general election since March, 1967, her husband Ahmad Tejan Kabbah 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) emerged victorious and became the new president of Sierra Leone; Patricia then became the first lady until her death in 1998..