Wilton G. S. Sankawulo facts for kids

Wilton Gbakolo Sengbe Sankawulo, Sr. (born July 26, 1937 – died February 21, 2009) was an important Liberian politician and a talented author. He served as the leader of Liberia for a short time.

Early Life and Education

Wilton Sankawulo was born in 1937 in a place called Haindi in Lower Bong County, Liberia. He started his schooling at a Lutheran mission school near Handi. He then went to other Lutheran schools and finished high school in 1959.

In 1960, he joined Cuttington College and Divinity School, which is now Cuttington University. While there, he started writing short stories. These stories were published in the college's magazine, Cuttington Review.

After graduating in 1963, he received a special scholarship. This allowed him to study theology at the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in California, USA. He earned a master's degree there. Later, he attended a writing workshop at the University of Iowa, where he earned a second master's degree in English.

Career as a Writer and Teacher

When Sankawulo returned to Liberia in the late 1960s, he started working for the government. He worked in the Department of Information and Cultural Affairs. He first worked in the Press Bureau and later became the Director of the Overseas Press Bureau.

At the same time, he taught at the University of Liberia. He became an Associate Professor there from 1985 to 1990. He also taught English and Literature at his old college, Cuttington.

Published Works

Wilton Sankawulo became famous as a writer in the early 1970s.

• In 1974, he published The Marriage of Wisdom, and Other Tales. This book was a collection of stories from Liberia.
• He later published Why Nobody Knows When He Will Die.
• In 1979, he wrote a novel called The Rain and the Night.
• He also wrote Sundown at Dawn: A Liberian Odyssey.
• He put together a collection of African stories called More Modern African African Stories.
• His novel Birds Are Singing was published after he passed away in 2010.

Role in Government

Wilton Sankawulo also held several important positions in the Liberian government. When William R. Tolbert became President in 1971, Sankawulo wrote a book about him called Tolbert of Liberia.

He worked as a Research Specialist at the Ministry of Information. Then, he moved to the Executive Mansion, which is like the President's office. There, he was an Assistant Minister of State for Presidential Affairs.

From 1983 to 1985, he was the Director General of the Cabinet. After that, he became a Special Assistant to President Samuel K. Doe. In this role, he helped President Doe with his schoolwork. This helped President Doe graduate from the University of Liberia in 1989.

Leading Liberia

Wilton Sankawulo served as the leader of Liberia from September 1, 1995, to September 3, 1996. He was the chairman of the Council of State. This council was a group of leaders who governed Liberia during a difficult time. It was like a team of presidents for the Liberia National Transitional Government.

Before him, David Kpomakpor was the leader from March 1994 to September 1995. The Council of State included Sankawulo as the civilian chairman. Other members were Charles Taylor, Alhaji Kromah, George Boley, and two other civilians.

Sankawulo left office on September 3, 1996. Ruth Perry took over as the chairwoman of the Council of State. She led until August 2, 1997. Then, she handed power to Charles Taylor after elections were held in July 1997.

Later Life and Death

Wilton Sankawulo passed away on February 21, 2009, at the age of 71. He died from heart problems. He had been in the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Monrovia for three weeks before his death.

See also

You can find more information in Spanish here: Wilton G. S. Sankawulo para niños