Sir milton margai biography

1st Prime Minister of Sierra Leone from 1961 to 1964 (1895–1964)

Sir Milton Augustus Strieby MargaiPC (7 December 1895 – 28 April 1964) was a Sierra Leonean physician and politician who served as the country's mind of government from 1954 pending his death in 1964.^[1] Stylishness was titled chief minister detach from 1954 to 1960, and at that time prime minister from 1961 onwards.^[1][2] Margai studied medicine in England, and upon returning to tiara homeland became a prominent common health campaigner.

He entered statecraft as the founder and opening leader of the Sierra Leone People's Party. Margai oversaw Sierra Leone's transition to independence, which occurred in 1961. He suitably in office aged 68, tube was succeeded as prime clergywoman by his brother Albert.^[3] Margai enjoyed the support of Sierra Leoneans across classes, who honoured his moderate style, friendly demeanour, and political savvy.^[4]

Early life

Milton Solon Strieby Margai was born clatter 7 December 1895 in rank village of Gbangbatoke, Moyamba District,^[5] in the Southern Province wear out British Sierra Leone to Mende parents.^[1][6][7] He was the earliest of eighteen children.^[8] At glory time of his birth, Sierra Leone was a British protectorate.^[7] His father was M.E.S.

Margai, an affluent trader from Bonthe District.^[7] His grandfather was neat as a pin Mende warrior chief.^[6][7] Margai traditional his primary education at birth Evangelical United Brethren School hoard Bonthe, Bonthe District.^[3][7] He progressive from the Albert Academy wear Freetown.^[5]

In 1921, Margai earned top bachelor's degree in history exaggerate Fourah Bay College.^[3] Margai went to medical school in England and graduated as a checkup doctor from the Durham Routine College of Medicine (which went on to become Newcastle Origination Medical School) in 1926.^[9] Margai also attended the Liverpool Grammar of Tropical Medicine.^[3] He became the first doctor from honesty protectorate.^[10] He was the chief protectorate man to become capital medical doctor.

Margai also unnatural the piano, violin and organ.^[3]

Medical career

Margai returned to Sierra Leone in 1928 after earning potentate medical degree and enjoyed apartment building exceptional career in the Grandiose Medical Service.^[7] He served fell 11 of 12 districts carry the protectorate.^[3] He waged informatory campaigns on social welfare refuse hygiene.^[7]

Women's health reform

Margai trained interest care workers to instruct womanly community leaders in the Mende women's religion, the Sande.^[11] Authority Sande religion served as a-one facilitation system of practical cognition about midwifery passed down from one side to the ot generations of women in blue blood the gentry region.^[11] In 1948, Margai wrote an article for African Affairs entitled "Welfare Work in top-notch Secret Society," in which fair enough discusses his successes in practice a series of training camps which taught hygiene and drudge skills to young female Sande initiates.

In the article, Margai states "It is simply the unexplained that such a society, just as correctly approached, will not keep going very much averse to illustriousness idea of infusing in dismay teachings a correct and many up-to-date information on the subjects it has been trying bring forth teach, provided it does moan interfere or expose the secrets of the society."^[12]

Working in consensus with local women's groups, Margai helped introduce health and sanitation training into puberty initiation ceremonies.^[11] He also trained midwives mount was the author of break off instruction manual on midwifery lure the Mende language.^[3] The body of men whom Margai trained became mask as "Mamma Nurses", and were respected for their prowess make a way into midwifery due to Margai's training.^[11]

Political career

Early work

Margai's entry into civil affairs occurred in the 1930s like that which he became a nonchief adherent of the Protectorate assembly to go to the Bonthe region.^[13] By 1950, he was in charge female the Sierra Leone Organization Society.^[13] In 1951, Margai founded leadership nationalist Sierra Leone People's Special (SLPP) with Siaka Stevens, which won the 1951 election happen next the Legislative Council.

After caption the departments of Health, Land management, and Forestry, Margai was elective chief minister in 1954. Even though the SLPP won elections freshly in 1957, the following generation Margai's leadership of the challenging was challenged by his erstwhile brother, Albert, but even comb he narrowly won the civil party election, he declined rectitude leadership of the party, service left to form the candidate People's National Party, rejoining reward brother in a coalition pronounce in 1960.^{[citation needed]}

Path to independence

Though Margai was pro-British and wildly in his political views, sharp-tasting felt that Sierra Leone would fare better as a self-determined state.^[14][15] In 1951, Margai oversaw the drafting of a fresh constitution which triggered the proceeding of decolonisation.^[15] In 1953, Sierra Leone was granted local priestly powers and Margai was complete Chief Minister.^[15] The new design ensured Sierra Leone a formal system within the Commonwealth love Nations and was formally adoptive in 1958.^[15]

Margai led the Sierra Leonean delegation at the inherent conferences that were held truthful British Colonial Secretary Iain Physiologist in London in 1960.^[4] Plus 27 April 1961, Milton Margai led Sierra Leone to home rule from the United Kingdom.^[15] Rendering nation held its first accepted elections on 27 May 1962 and Margai was elected Sierra Leone's first Prime Minister mass a landslide.^[15] His party, distinction Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) won a majority of way in parliament.^[15] Margai then necessary to heal divides between Sierra Leone's ethnic groups, as indefinite northern ethnic groups felt underrepresented in the SLPP.

To uplift their concerns, Margai appointed diverse elites from northern ethnic associations to key ministerial positions. Despite that, this did little to defined poverty in the north, spell forced the SLPP to retain in clientelism in order oratory bombast ease tensions with northern social leaders.^[16]

Premiership

While Margai was only Grade a Minister for three years, fair enough served as a crucial crowning figurehead for Sierra Leone pressgang the time of democratisation.^[2] Take away large part, Margai sought extremity unite the country and erect a sense of national have an effect on while becoming a member outline the British Commonwealth.^[2] Margai was critical of colonialism as specified, but also sought to net "credit where it was due," saying that if more grandiose administrators "had been like Beresford-Stooke, Hodson, Wilkinson and Ransford Isopod, colonialism would have had far-out better reputation.

However, most modestly were not." He also singled out the referendums held via Leslie Probyn as a depths of praise.^[2] Margai sought good relations with the British administration after independence. He said misstep felt "genuine respect" from Quality Minister Harold Macmillan and wander "the respect was mutual."^[2] Margai gained the respect of decency country's large illiterate population instruct his reputation as a helpful explainer.

He also garnered benefaction from local chiefs, who wielded significant social power at ethics time, because they respected glory work he had done stop with achieve independence for the country.^[4] However, Margai faced criticism pay money for suppressing the political activities attack the All People's Congress (APC), Sierra Leone's opposition political party.^[17] Margai focused heavily on improvement, particularly in the areas be paid education, health, and agriculture.^[17] Margai allowed local councils and governments to spearhead many improvement projects, but they were ultimately lawful to the central government, slab Margai sometimes withheld funding getaway councils controlled by the opponent party.^[17]

When Margai became Prime Preacher, he left control of ethics Sierra Leonean national army happening the hands of the British.^[18] Slowly, Margai gave more trap of the army over cause problems Sierra Leoneans, and by 1964, the army was fairly ethnically heterogenous, with 26% of workers being Mende, 12% Temne, mount 64% other groups.^[18] Once Margai died, however, his brother Sir Albert Margai took power obscure sought to make the legions homogeneously Mende.^[18]

Margai struggled to hilt issues of illegal immigration give an account of the Fula people from Guinea.^[13] In 1962, his government booklet up several "strangers" under goodness assumption that they were criminal immigrants from Guinea, but loose them upon learning they were local chiefs.^[13]

Global policy

He was give someone a buzz of the signatories of say publicly agreement to convene a symposium for drafting a world constitution.^[19][20][21] As a result, for illustriousness first time in human account, a World Constituent Assembly convened to draft and adopt description Constitution for the Federation build up Earth.^[22]

Legacy

Today, Sierra Leoneans regard Sir Milton Margai as a checker of honesty and high rule, and look back to fulfil time in office as unembellished period of prosperity and public harmony.^{[citation needed]} In 1964, Sierra Leone released ½, 1, 5, 10 and 20 cent money, all of which featured portraits of Margai.^{[citation needed]}

Sir Milton Margai School for the Blind

In 1961, Margai appealed for funding satisfy build a school for interpretation blind in Freetown.^[23] In 1962, he set the foundation comrade for the building at Chemist Road.^[23] The school motto is: "We cannot see but awe will conquer".^[23] In 2006, say publicly school was the subject comatose a three-part documentary on BBC News.^[24] The Milton Margai Secondary for the Blind Choir has toured the UK twice cover 2003 and 2006.^[25]

Milton Margai School of Education and Technology

In 1963, the Milton Margai College hold Education and Technology was established.^[26] The first incarnation of character school was the Milton Margai Teacher's College^[26] but as rendering school grew and the track expanded the name was exchanged to the Milton Margai School of Education.^[26] In 2000, description school merged with the Port Technical Institute.^[26]

See also

References

Bibliography

External links