Ernest Bai Koroma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ernest Bai Koroma
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Koroma in 2015
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| 4th President of Sierra Leone | |
| In office 17 September 2007 – 4 April 2018 |
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| Vice President | Samuel Sam-Sumana (2007–2015) Victor Bockarie Foh (2015–2018) |
| Preceded by | Ahmad Tejan Kabbah |
| Succeeded by | Julius Maada Bio |
| Leader of the All People's Congress | |
| Assumed office 24 March 2002 |
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| Secretary-General | Osman Foday Yansaneh |
| Preceded by | Edward Turay |
| Minority Leader of Parliament | |
| In office 2005–2007 |
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| Preceded by | Edward Turay |
| Succeeded by | Emmanuel Tommy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 October 1953 Makeni, British Sierra Leone |
| Political party | All People's Congress |
| Spouse |
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| Children | Alice Dankay Yunis |
| Alma mater | Fourah Bay College |
| Religion | Christianity (Wesleyan) |
| Website | Government website |
Ernest Bai Koroma (born 2 October 1953) is a Sierra Leonean politician. He served as the fourth President of Sierra Leone from 2007 to 2018.
Koroma was born and grew up in Makeni, a city in northern Sierra Leone. Before becoming a politician in 2002, he worked in the private insurance business for over 24 years. From 1988 to 2002, he was the managing director of Reliance Insurance Trust Corporation (Ritcorp).
He earned a bachelor's degree from Fourah Bay College in 1976. He is trained as an insurance agent.
In 2002, Koroma was chosen as the leader of the All People's Congress (APC). This was Sierra Leone's main opposition party. He ran for president in the 2002 election but lost to the sitting President, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah.
Later, Koroma was elected to Parliament. He represented his home area of Bombali District from 2002 to 2007. In 2005, he became the minority leader in Parliament. He held this role until he was elected president in 2007.
In the 2007 presidential election, Koroma won the run-off vote with 54.6%. He defeated Solomon Berewa, who was the Vice-President at the time. Koroma became President on 17 September 2007, at the State House in Freetown. Both local and international observers said the election was fair.
Koroma was re-elected for a second term in November 2012. He won with 58.7% of the votes, beating Julius Maada Bio. Observers again confirmed the election was fair. Julius Maada Bio became president after Koroma in 2018.
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Early Life & Education
Ernest Bai Koroma was born on 2 October 1953 in Makeni, Bombali District. This area is in the Northern Province of what was then British Sierra Leone. He grew up in a Christian family, even though the northern region is mostly Muslim.
His family spoke Temne and Limba, and Koroma speaks both languages well. His father, Sylvanus Koroma, was of Temne and Loko heritage. He worked as a bible school teacher at the Wesleyan Church in Makeni.
Koroma's mother, Alice Koroma, was an ethnic Limba. She was from the town of Kamabai, also in Bombali District. She became involved in local politics in the 1960s. She was elected to the Makeni city council as a member of the All People's Congress (APC).
Alice Koroma was also the women's leader for the APC in Bombali District. She supported President Siaka Stevens' government. For most of her career, she worked as a primary school teacher in Makeni.
Ernest Bai Koroma went to the Sierra Leone Church Primary School in Makeni. For high school, he attended the Magburaka Government Secondary School for Boys. He graduated in 1973. He then moved to Freetown to study at Fourah Bay College. He graduated in 1976 with a degree in Business Management.
After college, Koroma taught at St. Francis Secondary School in Makeni from 1976 to 1978.
Career in Insurance
Koroma started working at the Sierra Leone National Insurance Company in 1978. In 1985, he joined the Reliance Insurance Trust Corporation (Ritcorp). By 1988, he became the managing director of Ritcorp. He held this important position for 14 years.
Marriage & Family Life
Ernest Bai Koroma is a member of the Wesleyan Church of Sierra Leone. He married Sia Nyama Koroma on October 18, 1986. Their wedding took place at the King Memorial UMC Church in Freetown.
Sia Koroma's father was Abu Aiah Koroma, a lawyer and politician. He served as Attorney General of Sierra Leone. Sia Koroma is a biochemist and a psychiatric nurse.
Ernest and Sia Koroma have three adult daughters: Alice, Dankay, and Mary. They also have one son, Yunis. Their daughter Alice is a lawyer.
Political Journey
Becoming APC Leader
In 2002, the All People's Congress (APC) decided to choose a new leader. This leader would run against President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah in the upcoming elections. Ernest Bai Koroma, who was an Insurance broker from Bombali District, decided to run. At that time, most people in Sierra Leone did not know him.
He was one of seven people who wanted to lead the APC. Many expected Edward Turay, the long-time APC leader, to win easily. However, Koroma argued that under Turay, the party had lost many seats in Parliament. He said the APC needed a new direction to regain trust.
On 24 March 2002, Koroma was elected leader of the APC. This happened at a party meeting in Kabala. He received 370 votes from the party delegates.
2002 Election & Parliament
In the 2002 presidential election, Koroma was the APC's candidate. He received 22.3% of the votes. He lost to President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), who won with 70.3%.
Even though he lost the presidential race, Koroma was elected to a seat in Parliament. He represented Bombali District.
Party Leadership Challenges
After becoming leader, Koroma faced some legal challenges about his leadership. However, he was again chosen as the APC's leader and presidential candidate in 2005. This happened at a party meeting in Port Loko. By April 2007, the disagreements within the party were settled.
Under Koroma's leadership, the APC won almost all the seats in the Western Area and the Northern Province in the 2004 local elections. This showed his growing support.
Running for President in 2007
Koroma was the APC presidential candidate in the August 2007 general election. His main opponent was Solomon Berewa, the Vice-President from the SLPP. Koroma had strong support in Northern Sierra Leone and the Western Area. Berewa was popular in the south-eastern parts of the country.
In the first round of the 2007 election, Koroma received 44.3% of the votes. Berewa got 38.3%. Since no one won more than 50%, a second round of voting was held on 8 September.
On 17 September, the National Electoral Commission announced that Koroma had won. He received 54.6% of the votes. He was sworn in as President on the same day.
After becoming President, Koroma visited neighboring Guinea and Liberia. This was his first trip outside Sierra Leone as president. He took some time to choose his government ministers. He said he wanted to find the best people for the jobs.
Inauguration as President
Koroma was officially inaugurated in Freetown on 15 November 2007. Leaders from seven other African countries attended the ceremony. During his speech, he promised to fight against corruption. He also said he would focus on improving agriculture and tourism in Sierra Leone.
He promised to increase the country's wealth, reduce poverty, and create more jobs. He also pledged to provide electricity to all parts of Sierra Leone.
Many important people attended his inauguration. These included presidents from Nigeria, Liberia, Senegal, Gambia, Burkina Faso, and Mali. The Prime Minister of Guinea and a representative from the United States were also there.
Presidency & Reforms
As president, Koroma focused on rebuilding Sierra Leone's roads and other important structures after the Civil War. He also worked to fight corruption and make the country's health care system better.
In April 2010, Koroma signed a law for a free health care program. This program helped pregnant women, new mothers, and children under five years old. Koroma also encouraged more private businesses to invest in Sierra Leone.
On 4 September 2008, Koroma declared his personal assets to the Sierra Leone Anti-corruption Commission. He also signed a new Anti-Corruption Bill into law. This law made it mandatory for the president and other government officials to declare their assets every year.
Koroma gave the anti-corruption commission more power to investigate and charge corrupt officials. Since he became president, he removed several government ministers who were linked to corruption.
His government focused on building roads across the country. This greatly improved Sierra Leone's infrastructure. He also encouraged investments, especially in the mining industry, often from Chinese companies. With help from the United Nations, his government started a free healthcare program for children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.
President Koroma was re-elected with 58% of the votes. He remained very popular, especially in the north and Western Area of Sierra Leone. His team of staff and ministers included people from many of Sierra Leone's different ethnic groups. He often made surprise visits to poor neighborhoods and waved to people from his car.
Images for kids
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A man passes, in Freetown, posters for APC candidate Koroma (foreground) and the ruling SLPP ahead of presidential elections, 6 August 2007.
See also
In Spanish: Ernest Bai Koroma para niños
