Julius Maada Bio
Encyclopedia
Brigadier
(Ret.) Julius Maada Bio (born May 12, 1964) 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 (NPRC) military junta
government.
Bio is currently an active member of the SLPP and will be its presidential candidate in the 2012 presidential election, having won the nomination at the July 31, 2011 SLPP national convention held at the Miatta Conference Hall in Freetown
.http://www.thepatrioticvanguard.com/spip.php?article6089http://www.thenewpeople.com/national-news/item/1103-slpp-flag-bearer-julius-maada-bio-s-acceptance-speech.
Bio led a military coup in Sierra Leone on January 16, 1996, ousting his close friend and the leader of the NPRC junta
government, Captain
Valentine Strasser
, following a division within senior members of the NPRC junta. In his first public broadcast to the nation following the 1996 coup, Brigadier General Bio stated that his support for returning Sierra Leone to a democratically elected civilian government and his commitment to ending the Sierra Leone civil war
were his motivations for the coup.http://www.thefreelibrary.com/How+Sierra+Leone+fell+into+the+hands+of+young+soldiers.-a0254314002.
Bio fulfilled his promise to return Sierra Leone to democracy and handed power to Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
of the Sierra Leone People's Party
(SLPP) following the latter's victory in the 1996 presidential election
. After retiring from the military in 1996, Bio moved to the United States
to continue his education. Bio is a graduate of American University
in Washington, D.C.
with a Masters Degree in International Affairs
. Bio had served as the president of International Systems Science Corporation, a consulting and investment management firm based in the United States
. He is currently married and has four children.
, just a few distance from the main commercial town of Mattru Jong
, in the Southern Province
of Sierra Leone. Bio is one of 35 children born to Mende
Paramount Chief
Charlie Bio II of Sogbini Chiefdom http://www.thepatrioticvanguard.com/spip.php?article5764. Bio's father had nine wives. Bio is named after his paternal grandfather, who was also a paramount chief of Sogbini Chiefdom.
Bio began his primary education at the Roman Catholic Primary School in Mattru Jung. After finishing his early years in primary school, Bio was sent to the town of Pujehun
to leave with his older sister Agnes who was a primary school teacher in Pujehun. Bio completed his primary education at the Holy Family Primary School in Pujehun.
At the completion of his primary education, Bio's older sister, Agnes, enrolled him at the Bo Government Secondary School
in Bo
(commonly known as Bo School), a famous boarding school
and one of Sierra Leone's most widely recognized secondary schools. Bio spent seven years at Bo School, rising to become school Prefect. Bio graduated from Bo School in 1984 with A-level at age 20.
in Freetown
in 1985 at age 21. However Bio change his mind about college and instead enrolled in the Sierra Leone Armed forces
military academy
and was deployed for military training as a cadet
officer at the Benguema Military Training Academy in Benguema
, a town located just outside Freetown in October 1987. He was directly under the command of Major Fallah Sewa, who was head of cadet trainings at the military academy. At the military academy Bio built a close friendly reations with his fellow cadet officers Valentine Strasser
, Solomon Musa
and Sahr Sandy.
Bio graduated from the Military academy as a Second Lieutenant
in the Sierra Leone Army in October 1987 at age 22. His first posting as a soldier
was at the Lungi Garrison in Lungi
, Port Loko District
in 1987. Bio was later sent to Kambia District
as part of the Economic Emergency Unit, created by President Joseph Saidu Momoh
to combat the deepening meltdown and criminality across Sierra Leone. In 1988, Bio was re-posted at Lungi to be trained by United Nations
forces in aviation
security
. After the training, Bio was posted to Benguema as a platoon commander.
In 1990, the Sierra Leone Government sent to Liberia
as a member of ECOMOG peacekeeping force to battle the rebels of the Liberian Civil War that was fighting to overthrow the Liberian Government. Bio and several other Sierra Leonean soldiers, including Captain
Valentine Strasser
, and Seargon Solomon Musa
were deployed to Liberia as part of Sierra Leone’s contribution to ECOMOG. At the time, thousands of Liberians were fleeing to Sierra Leone weekly, exposing the country’s fragile security and adding to the economic hardship.
After a year in Liberia as an ECOMOG soldier, the Sierra Leone Government ordered Bio and several members of Sierra Leonean soldiers serving in Liberia to immediately return to Sierra Leone and report to the army barracks in Daru
, Kailahun District
as a member of a 600 battalion of soldiers set up by President Momoh in order to squash a rebellion by rebels known as the Revolutionary United Front
(RUF) that had just begun in villages in Jaluahun Chiefdom, Kailahun District
in Eastern Sierra Leone in March 1991. The soldiers included future NPRC members Seargon Solomon Musa, Captain Valentine Strasser, Lieutenant Sahr Sandy and captain Tom Nyuma
.
, Lieutenant
Sahr Sandy, Surgeon
Solomon Musa
, Captain Tom Nyuma
and Captain Komba Mondeh
that toppled president Joseph Saidu Momoh
's All People's Congress
(APC) government in a bloodless military coup. The young soldiers formed the Chairman of the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) with Strasser as their leader and Head of State of Sierra Leone.
Bio's first appointment following the formation of the NPRC was as the Secretary of State South, stationed in the country's second capital Bo. He was later moved to Freetown to serve as Secretary of State in charge of Information and Broadcasting. At this point, he was promoted to Captain alongside other junior lieutenants. As a leading member of the coup that kicked out the APC government, Bio served as SCS member throughout the NPRC's stay in power and when Strasser's deputy, captain S.A.J. Musa, was sacked and exiled to the UK, Bio was appointed to the position.
following a division within the governing Supreme Council of State (SCS) over whether to seek peace with the RUF before multi-party elections, planned for March 1996, or go ahead with the election notwithstanding the ongoing war in the country, and the conditions for participation (or disqualification) of junta members in the elections. The coup was backed by many high ranking NPRC soldiers including Colonel Tom Nyuma
, Lt Colonel Komba Mondeh
, Lt Colonel Reginald Glover, Lt Colonel Idriss Kamara, and Lt Colonel Karefa-Kargbo. Strasser then the leader of the NPRC and the military Head of State of Sierra Leone was handcuffed at gunpoint
by his own military bodyguards who were supposed to protect him and was immediately flown into exile in a military helicopter
to Conakry
http://freespace.virgin.net/ambrose.ganda/Vol2_1.htm.
Bio officially became a member of the Sierra Leone People's Party
(SLPP) in 2005. That same year, Bio sought the leadership of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) at its national convention in Makeni
on September 3–4, 2005; he took third place, with 33 votes, behind Vice President Solomon Berewa
, who received 291 votes, and Charles Margai
, who won 34 votes. In the Sierra Leonean press, Bio was quoted in 2007 as saying he would overthrow a new APC government if the APC won the 2007 election
. According to Bio, this was taken out of context, and he said that if the "appalling" conditions that existed in 1992 were to return, he would seize power.
On the night of 31 July 2011, Julius Maada Bio won the election to become the SLPP's 2012 presidential candidate at the SLPP convention, which was held at the Youyi Building in the heart of Freetown
. He will face off with President Ernest Bai Koroma
of the ruling APC.
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
(Ret.) Julius Maada Bio (born May 12, 1964) is a Sierra Leonean politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who was the military Head of State
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
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 January 16, 1996 to March 29, 1996 under the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) military junta
Military junta
A junta or military junta is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term derives from the Spanish language junta meaning committee, specifically a board of directors...
government.
Bio is currently an active member of the SLPP and will be its presidential candidate in the 2012 presidential election, having won the nomination at the July 31, 2011 SLPP national convention held at the Miatta Conference Hall 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...
.http://www.thepatrioticvanguard.com/spip.php?article6089http://www.thenewpeople.com/national-news/item/1103-slpp-flag-bearer-julius-maada-bio-s-acceptance-speech.
Bio led a military coup in Sierra Leone on January 16, 1996, ousting his close friend and the leader of the NPRC junta
Junta
Junta may refer to:Governance:* Military-led government:** By military junta or committee**Military dictatorship regardless of structure* Other governance:** Junta ** Specific to Spain:*** Junta , 1808–1810...
government, Captain
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
Valentine Strasser
Valentine Strasser
Valentine Esegragbo Melvine Strasser served as head of state of Sierra Leone from 1992 to 1996. He had been a junior military officer but in 1992, he became the world's youngest Head of State when he seized power three days after his 25th birthday...
, following a division within senior members of the NPRC junta. In his first public broadcast to the nation following the 1996 coup, Brigadier General Bio stated that his support for returning Sierra Leone to a democratically elected civilian government and his commitment to ending the Sierra Leone civil war
Sierra Leone Civil War
The Sierra Leone Civil War began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front , with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia , intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government...
were his motivations for the coup.http://www.thefreelibrary.com/How+Sierra+Leone+fell+into+the+hands+of+young+soldiers.-a0254314002.
Bio fulfilled his promise to return Sierra Leone to democracy and handed power to 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...
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) following the latter's victory in the 1996 presidential election
Sierra Leonean general election, 1996
General elections were held in Sierra Leone on 26 and 27 February 1996 to elect a president and Parliament of Sierra Leone. A second round of voting in the presidential election was held on 15 March...
. After retiring from the military in 1996, Bio moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to continue his education. Bio is a graduate of American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
with a Masters Degree in International Affairs
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
. Bio had served as the president of International Systems Science Corporation, a consulting and investment management firm based in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He is currently married and has four children.
Early life
Julius Maada Bio was born on May 12, 1964 in Tihun, a small rural town in Sogbini Chiefdom, Bonthe DistrictBonthe 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....
, just a few distance from the main commercial town of Mattru Jong
Mattru Jong
Mattru Jong commonly known as Mattru is a major fishing town on the mainland of Bonthe District in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone. It is located along the Jong River, 52 miles southwest of Bo. It is the seat of the Jong Chiefdom, and home of Paramount Chief Alie Badara Sheriff III. The...
, 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. Bio is one of 35 children born to Mende
Mende people
The Mende people are one of the two largest and most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne. The Mende make up 30% of Sierra Leone's total population or 1,932,015 members...
Paramount Chief
Paramount chief
A paramount chief is the highest-level traditional chief or political leader in a regional or local polity or country typically administered politically with a chief-based system. This definition is used occasionally in anthropological and archaeological theory to refer to the rulers of multiple...
Charlie Bio II of Sogbini Chiefdom http://www.thepatrioticvanguard.com/spip.php?article5764. Bio's father had nine wives. Bio is named after his paternal grandfather, who was also a paramount chief of Sogbini Chiefdom.
Bio began his primary education at the Roman Catholic Primary School in Mattru Jung. After finishing his early years in primary school, Bio was sent to the town of Pujehun
Pujehun
Pujehun is a rural town in Pujehun District in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone. The town is the capital and second largest city of the Pujehun District. The 1985 census gives pujehun a population of 3,859 with the population estimated to have grown to 9,121 in 2010. The Mende language along...
to leave with his older sister Agnes who was a primary school teacher in Pujehun. Bio completed his primary education at the Holy Family Primary School in Pujehun.
At the completion of his primary education, Bio's older sister, Agnes, enrolled him at the Bo Government Secondary 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...
in Bo
Bo, Sierra Leone
Bo is the second largest city in Sierra Leone and the largest city in the Southern Province. It lies about 164 miles south-east of Freetown and had a population 149,957 in the 2004 census, with a current estimate is 231,494 . The city serve as the capital and administrative center of Bo District...
(commonly known as Bo School), a famous boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
and one of Sierra Leone's most widely recognized secondary schools. Bio spent seven years at Bo School, rising to become school Prefect. Bio graduated from Bo School in 1984 with A-level at age 20.
Military career
After graduating from secondary school, Bio applied to enter Fourah Bay CollegeFourah Bay College
Fourah Bay College is the oldest university college in West Africa. It is located atop Mount Aureol in Freetown, Sierra Leone...
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...
in 1985 at age 21. However Bio change his mind about college and instead enrolled in the Sierra Leone Armed forces
Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces
The Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces is the armed forces of Sierra Leone, responsible for the territorial security of Sierra Leone's border and defending the national interests of Sierra Leone, within the framework of its international obligations...
military academy
Military academy
A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps of the army, the navy, air force or coast guard, which normally provides education in a service environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned.Three...
and was deployed for military training as a cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
officer at the Benguema Military Training Academy in Benguema
Benguema
Benguema is a town in the Rural District in the Western Area of Sierra Leone. Benguema is located 25 miles from Freetown.Benguema is home to the Benguema Military Training Academy, the largest military recruit training center in Sierra Leone. The town is also home to one of Sierra Leone's largest...
, a town located just outside Freetown in October 1987. He was directly under the command of Major Fallah Sewa, who was head of cadet trainings at the military academy. At the military academy Bio built a close friendly reations with his fellow cadet officers Valentine Strasser
Valentine Strasser
Valentine Esegragbo Melvine Strasser served as head of state of Sierra Leone from 1992 to 1996. He had been a junior military officer but in 1992, he became the world's youngest Head of State when he seized power three days after his 25th birthday...
, Solomon Musa
Solomon Musa
Solomon Anthony Joseph Musa, also known as SAJ Musa, was an important military and political figure in the Sierra Leone Civil War.-Overview:...
and Sahr Sandy.
Bio graduated from the Military academy as a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Sierra Leone Army in October 1987 at age 22. His first posting as a soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
was at the Lungi Garrison in Lungi
Lungi, Sierra Leone
Lungi is a coastal town in Port Loko District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. The town had a population of 4185 in the 2004 census , with a 2006 estimate of 7,720. It lies about 22 miles west of the district capital Port Loko, and is separated from Freetown by the Sierra Leone sea...
, Port Loko District
Port Loko District
Port Loko District is the most populous district in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone with a population of 489,488 Its capital is Port Loko and the largest city is Lunsar...
in 1987. Bio was later sent to Kambia District
Kambia District
Kambia District is a district in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. Its capital and largest city is Kambia. The other major towns include Morebaya, Kasirie, Kamassassa, Kukuna and Mange. The district has a population estimated at 304,357....
as part of the Economic Emergency Unit, created by 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 :...
to combat the deepening meltdown and criminality across Sierra Leone. In 1988, Bio was re-posted at Lungi to be trained by 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...
forces in aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
. After the training, Bio was posted to Benguema as a platoon commander.
In 1990, the Sierra Leone Government sent to Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
as a member of ECOMOG peacekeeping force to battle the rebels of the Liberian Civil War that was fighting to overthrow the Liberian Government. Bio and several other Sierra Leonean soldiers, including Captain
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
Valentine Strasser
Valentine Strasser
Valentine Esegragbo Melvine Strasser served as head of state of Sierra Leone from 1992 to 1996. He had been a junior military officer but in 1992, he became the world's youngest Head of State when he seized power three days after his 25th birthday...
, and Seargon Solomon Musa
Solomon Musa
Solomon Anthony Joseph Musa, also known as SAJ Musa, was an important military and political figure in the Sierra Leone Civil War.-Overview:...
were deployed to Liberia as part of Sierra Leone’s contribution to ECOMOG. At the time, thousands of Liberians were fleeing to Sierra Leone weekly, exposing the country’s fragile security and adding to the economic hardship.
After a year in Liberia as an ECOMOG soldier, the Sierra Leone Government ordered Bio and several members of Sierra Leonean soldiers serving in Liberia to immediately return to Sierra Leone and report to the army barracks in Daru
Daru
Daru is the capital of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. The township is entirely located on an island that goes by the same name, which is located near the mouth of the Fly River on the western side of the Gulf, just north of Torres Strait and Far North Queensland...
, Kailahun District
Kailahun District
Kailahun District is a district in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. Its capital and largest city is Kailahun. The other major towns in the district include Segbwema, Koindu, Pendembu and Daru. As of 2010, the district has a population of 395,957 ....
as a member of a 600 battalion of soldiers set up by President Momoh in order to squash a rebellion by rebels known as the Revolutionary United Front
Revolutionary United Front
The Revolutionary United Front was a rebel army that fought a failed eleven-year war in Sierra Leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002. It later developed into a political party, which existed until 2007...
(RUF) that had just begun in villages in Jaluahun Chiefdom, Kailahun District
Kailahun District
Kailahun District is a district in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. Its capital and largest city is Kailahun. The other major towns in the district include Segbwema, Koindu, Pendembu and Daru. As of 2010, the district has a population of 395,957 ....
in Eastern Sierra Leone in March 1991. The soldiers included future NPRC members Seargon Solomon Musa, Captain Valentine Strasser, Lieutenant Sahr Sandy and captain Tom Nyuma
Tom Nyuma
Tom Nyuma is a retired Sierra Leonean military commander and currently the chairman of Kailahun District council from the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party . He was elected as chairman of Kailahun District council on July 6, 2008 with 87% of the vote...
.
Participation in 1992 military coup
On April 29, 1992, Bio was one of a group of six young Sierra Leonan soldiers that included Captain Valentine StrasserValentine Strasser
Valentine Esegragbo Melvine Strasser served as head of state of Sierra Leone from 1992 to 1996. He had been a junior military officer but in 1992, he became the world's youngest Head of State when he seized power three days after his 25th birthday...
, Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Sahr Sandy, Surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
Solomon Musa
Solomon Musa
Solomon Anthony Joseph Musa, also known as SAJ Musa, was an important military and political figure in the Sierra Leone Civil War.-Overview:...
, Captain Tom Nyuma
Tom Nyuma
Tom Nyuma is a retired Sierra Leonean military commander and currently the chairman of Kailahun District council from the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party . He was elected as chairman of Kailahun District council on July 6, 2008 with 87% of the vote...
and Captain Komba Mondeh
Komba Mondeh
Brigadier General Komba Mondeh Brigadier General Komba Mondeh Brigadier General Komba Mondeh (born on October 31, 1966 in Freetown, Sierra Leone] is a top ranking officer in the Sierra Leonean army. Mondeh was one of six young soldiers in the Sierra Leonean Army that ousted president Joseph Saidu...
that toppled 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 :...
's All People's Congress
All People's Congress
The All People's Congress is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone, the other is the Sierra Leone People's Party . The party was founded in 1960 by Pa Mucktarru Kallay, Allieu Badarr Koroma,Alhaji Sheik Gibril Sesay C A Kamara-Taylor, S A T Koroma and Abu Bakarr S Bangura...
(APC) government in a bloodless military coup. The young soldiers formed the Chairman of the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) with Strasser as their leader and Head of State of Sierra Leone.
Bio's first appointment following the formation of the NPRC was as the Secretary of State South, stationed in the country's second capital Bo. He was later moved to Freetown to serve as Secretary of State in charge of Information and Broadcasting. At this point, he was promoted to Captain alongside other junior lieutenants. As a leading member of the coup that kicked out the APC government, Bio served as SCS member throughout the NPRC's stay in power and when Strasser's deputy, captain S.A.J. Musa, was sacked and exiled to the UK, Bio was appointed to the position.
1996 military coup
On January 16, 1996, Bio lead a military coup, ousting captain Valentine StrasserValentine Strasser
Valentine Esegragbo Melvine Strasser served as head of state of Sierra Leone from 1992 to 1996. He had been a junior military officer but in 1992, he became the world's youngest Head of State when he seized power three days after his 25th birthday...
following a division within the governing Supreme Council of State (SCS) over whether to seek peace with the RUF before multi-party elections, planned for March 1996, or go ahead with the election notwithstanding the ongoing war in the country, and the conditions for participation (or disqualification) of junta members in the elections. The coup was backed by many high ranking NPRC soldiers including Colonel Tom Nyuma
Tom Nyuma
Tom Nyuma is a retired Sierra Leonean military commander and currently the chairman of Kailahun District council from the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party . He was elected as chairman of Kailahun District council on July 6, 2008 with 87% of the vote...
, Lt Colonel Komba Mondeh
Komba Mondeh
Brigadier General Komba Mondeh Brigadier General Komba Mondeh Brigadier General Komba Mondeh (born on October 31, 1966 in Freetown, Sierra Leone] is a top ranking officer in the Sierra Leonean army. Mondeh was one of six young soldiers in the Sierra Leonean Army that ousted president Joseph Saidu...
, Lt Colonel Reginald Glover, Lt Colonel Idriss Kamara, and Lt Colonel Karefa-Kargbo. Strasser then the leader of the NPRC and the military Head of State of Sierra Leone was handcuffed at gunpoint
Gunpoint
Gunpoint is the direction that a gun is pointing. It may also refer to:*Gunpoint , a 1966 movie Western starring Audie Murphy*"At gunpoint", under threat from a gun: see Coercion#Physical...
by his own military bodyguards who were supposed to protect him and was immediately flown into exile in a military helicopter
Military helicopter
A military helicopter is a helicopter that is either specifically built or converted for use by military forces. A military helicopter's mission is a function of its design or conversion...
to Conakry
Conakry
Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Conakry is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea with a 2009 population of 1,548,500...
http://freespace.virgin.net/ambrose.ganda/Vol2_1.htm.
Political career
Maada is married with two wives,francess Bio,and Zainab Bio.he was deported from america because he was charged by prince william county police for beating his wife and lover at there Dale city House in woodbridge Virginia.so he was finally given an altimatum to go home or deported.he finally left for sierra leone.Bio officially became a member 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) in 2005. That same year, Bio sought the leadership of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) at its national convention in Makeni
Makeni
Makeni is the largest city in the Nortern Province of Sierra Leone and the fifth largest city in Sierra Leone. The city is the capital of Bombali District and had a population of 80,840 in the 2004 census and a current estimate of 105,900...
on September 3–4, 2005; he took third place, with 33 votes, behind Vice President Solomon Berewa
Solomon Berewa
Solomon Ekuma Dominic Berewa was Vice-President of Sierra Leone from May 2002 to September 2007...
, who received 291 votes, and Charles Margai
Charles Margai
Charles Francis Kondo Margai is a Sierra Leonean lawyer and politician. He is the leader of the People's Movement for Democratic Change the third major political party in Sierra Leone, after the big two, the Sierra Leone People's Party and the All People's Congress . He was his party's candidate...
, who won 34 votes. In the Sierra Leonean press, Bio was quoted in 2007 as saying he would overthrow a new APC government if the APC won the 2007 election
Sierra Leonean general election, 2007
Presidential and parliamentary elections were held in Sierra Leone on 11 August 2007. Seven candidates competed in the first round of the presidential election; no candidate received the necessary 55% of the vote to win in the first round, and a second round was held between the top two candidates,...
. According to Bio, this was taken out of context, and he said that if the "appalling" conditions that existed in 1992 were to return, he would seize power.
On the night of 31 July 2011, Julius Maada Bio won the election to become the SLPP's 2012 presidential candidate at the SLPP convention, which was held at the Youyi Building in the heart of 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...
. He will face off with President Ernest Bai Koroma
Ernest Bai Koroma
Ernest Bai Koroma is the fourth and current President of Sierra Leone. He was sworn in as President on 17 September 2007 at the State House in the capital Freetown, shortly after being declared the winner of a tense run-off in the 2007 Sierra Leone presidential election with 54.6% of the vote over...
of the ruling APC.