Expo Magazine met with Western Area Fula Tribal Head Man, Chief Almamy Alhaji Mohamed Sarjor Jalloh (popularly known as Med Saj) on some of his key achievements since his appointment following the coronation of fula sub chiefs at a well-attended ceremony held at the Freetown City Council on Sunday 28th January, 2024
Expo Magazine: How far have you come in fostering unity among the Fullah Community in Sierra Leone?
Almamy Alhaji Mohammed Sarjor Jalloh: Alhamdullilah rabilalamina, as for me, I feel that I am trying my level best to unite the Pulaaku in Sierra Leone and beyond and I have tried since I took over power in five years’ time, so I’ve done a lot of things that can bring the Fula s together. The first thing I did was to visit the entire country in every district to engage Fula elders and the leadership and we came to form the council of Fula tribal heads of which I was lucky to be appointed as the chairman; that event was held in Magburaka. Again, we tried to revive the FPU that has been dormant for the past years, and we succeeded in bringing it back to life. We also tried to join the Tabital Pulaaku international and we were given a position and we tried to unite Pulaaku in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria, Mali something that has not existed before. So, after that I had my coronation at Bintumani of course every Fula in Sierra Leone and other parts of the world was aware of that event. After that, I initiated so many programs in Mali, Senegal, and Nigeria and beyond in making sure the power that government gave I did not hold on my own, but also to give responsibility of the leadership to various communities and I made sure that I appointed chiefs by zones, constituencies and Wards. We have zones in Western Area, because of the distance between Godrich and Waterloo, we divided zone Four into two that is zone four A and zone four B. so, I put zonal chief at the two constituencies in God rich up to York and two constituencies from Waterloo to Tombo and we have twenty-eight constituencies and six zonal chiefs and twenty-eight constituency chiefs and seventy-five wards across western area And all the zonal, constituency and wards have their respective executives which includes the women, youths everyone is represented. And this has been able to bring the fula Jama (the people) together.
Expo Magazine: there have been some growing tensions between the Fula Chieftaincy in Sierra Leone and TabitalPulaaku International on one hand and the Tabital Pulaaku Sierra Leone Chapter on the other hand leading to the cancellation of the coronation of the Fullah sub chief’s coronation and court action last year. How far has your administration gone to address this conflict?
Almamy Alhaji Mohammed Sarjor Jalloh: well, this conflict, we, true the intervention of our leaders, we came together and found out that there is no need for this division; it was just a misunderstanding because every Fula in Sierra Leone cannot take a membership to become a member of the chieftaincy but you can take membership to become a member of Tabital Pulaaku and you can take to become a member of FPU but the chieftaincy, as far as you are a Fula, then you automatically become a member. So, this is the difference and I think it was just a misunderstanding that existed between the chieftaincy and the Tabital Pulaaku Sierra Leone Chapter that is LG (Limited by Guarantee). Tabital Pulaaku should not be limited be guarantee it is everyone’s own and anyone that is heading Tabital Pulaaku supposed to be Tabital Pulaaku for every Fulani in Sierra Leone. So, that was the difference, but we have come to one understanding and I believe that the committee we set up will come out with a very good result.
Expo Magazine: what is the current status of the Fula community in terms of unity and progress, and who do you think are the most important stakeholders in achieving all this?
Almamy Alhaji Mohammed Sarjor Jalloh: well, you are one of them (the journalist) every Fula man contributes to bring the Pulaaku together, no one is taking the leadership by saying am the one who is making the Fula people to come together, the only thing there must be a head but no one can claim that credit singlehandedly. Myself as a Fula chief and chairman of Fula tribal heads I cannot claim that tittle that I’m the one making the Fula people to come together. It is a responsibility of everyone in the fula community and we tell all the Fula people thanks and they are doing their responsibilities and all the Fula people in Sierra Leone are contributing to the peace we are enjoying today.
Expo Magazine: Recently, we witnessed and reported the coronation of Fula sub-chiefs and other important leaders by your administration. What was your motivation and objective in appointing sub chiefs and coronating them in such a colorful event? Almamy Alhaji Mohammed Sarjor Jalloh: well, that’s my dream; from the starting I always tell them I don’t want to be a chief with a bag, roaming around neighborhoods asking for money. We are part of the society and we have to work with the people, so that is why I made sure that all the sixteen tribal heads were there and the minister of local government was there and I gave them a certificate; I had already appointed them before. They were chiefs but not chiefs for all the tribes, but this one (the coronation) made them a chief for every community, for example they can talk a case between Temne and Limba, between Fula
Expo Magazine: Why did you involve other members of the Council of Tribal Headmen in the Western Area?
Almamy Alhaji Mohammed Sarjor Jalloh: Because we are not living in a Fula zone, we are living in a Sierra Leonean society we have to work with the other tribes. So I have to invite them because we are working as one council and we believe with the involvement of the council we will achieve ever-lasting peace.
Expo Magazine: What does this coronation event demonstrate, especially when members of rival Fula community organization were present?
Almamy Alhaji Mohammed Sarjor Jalloh: Well, this is representing that, there is unity among the Pulaaku those people that is thinking that there is division among the Pulaaku; this demonstrates that there is no division among the Pulaaku. Maybe there is misunderstanding but there is no hatred among us.
Expo Magazine: How would you describe the relationship between your administration and the government, through the Ministry of Local Government?
Almamy Alhaji Mohammed Sarjor Jalloh: Well, to my understanding we are doing our level best to make sure we maintain law and order, and maintain the culture because that’s the role to maintain law and order, to help the government of the day and make sure you keep your culture.
Expo magazine: What can you say has been the relationship between your Chieftaincy administration and other Fula community organizations?
Almamy Alhaji Mohammed Sarjor Jalloh: Well, all those community organizations are auxiliary to the council of tribal heads. I’m happy that we have these organizations because whenever I call on them, they are coming to my aid and I alone cannot work, the chieftaincy alone cannot work, we need these organizations to power us and to make sure we given them a responsibility.
Expo magazine: What have been your major achievements since you assumed office?
Almamy Alhaji Mohammed Sarjor Jalloh: So many, I cannot count them, but the most important one that is believable is to unite the Fula people and the other tribes to make sure we take our responsibility as Sierra Leoneans, make sure we integrate ourselves to every citizen of this country.
Expo Magazine: What are the challenges, solutions and priorities going forward?
Almamy Alhaji Mohammed Sarjor Jalloh: Well, the challenges are many but I believe we can overcome them, I cannot name all the challenges because they so many not only in the Fula people but everywhere there are challenges but I believe we have achieved is far better than the remaining challenges. The only thing I would like to appeal to the people is that we need to be united and make sure we maintain the hard work that we are doing because with hard work, sincerity then I believe we can achieve what we want.
Expo Magazine: What is your final message to Sierra Leoneans?
Almamy Alhaji Mohammed Sarjor Jalloh: My message to Sierra Leoneans is that I am appealing to the people, I am appealing to the youths to avoid taking bad drugs called Kush, let the youth refrain from this! We the elders should make sure we don’t allow our kids to be part of those that are taking this Kush and taking this bad drugs. Secondly, I am asking all Sierra Leoneans to be hard working; you can build your own business; you did not need to rely on government because government cannot do everything for us. We have our own responsibility and the government has its own responsivity. So am appealing to everybody to be hard working, sincere, love one another and refrain from tribalism.
Copyright –Published in Expo Magazine, February Edition, Vol.2, No.2, 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)