Bringing the Old Back in: Retraditionalizing the Institution of Chieftaincy in the Modern State Governance of Sierra Leone

Modern state governance in Africa in general, and in Sierra Leone in particular, has become excruciatingly challenging following the end of the Cold War in the 1990s and the devastating civil conflicts that followed it. State structures have crumbled and collapsed and, in some cases, atrophied. The central argument of this paper postulates that if chieftaincy in Sierra Leone is “retraditionalized” and, at the same time, adapted to modern changes, and effectively utilized and appropriately enlisted to complement the effort of the enfeebled state institutions it can engender appropriate social change and assist in the political reordering of society. Although seen as a recreated and appropriated by the colonial and post-colonial state apparatus or as an outmoded institution, chieftaincy has shown remarkable resilience and adaptability in the face of the modernist project. Put another way, chieftaincy has resisted extinction and it continues to demonstrate its visibility in most of Africa’s modern state system as a viable and relevant institution capable of cushioning the fledging contemporary African state. A participatory approach to data collection including but not limited to desk review, focus group discussions, and interviews was employed during this research. The researcher experienced some limitations to this study major of which was the unavailability of some key stakeholders (Paramount Chiefs) for interviews and consultations. Besides, some of the literature was not available, which constrained the researcher in gathering primary data. The results indicate that the institution of chieftaincy in Sierra Leone has refused to be relegated to the dustbin of history.  It is in this vein that this paper argues that the institution of chieftaincy is still relevant as a trusted institution for governance by the majority of people living in rural Sierra Leone.  The paper concludes that traditional leadership can stimulate authentic participatory democracy and provide stability at the local level, which is sine qua non to development since more than 70 per cent of Sierra Leone’s population live in rural areas directly ruled by chiefs